The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
by Liisi Laukkanen
Summary: Catriona begrudgingly agrees to go on holiday with her friends, journeying from England to Santa Carla. She never expected to catch the attention of a vampire. [Paul/OC]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm writing this mainly for my own amusement over summer, between studying for exams, but I figured I could post it on here too :). Bit of an AU where our favourite boys weren't killed, but Michael killed Max, curing himself etc., and then escaped off into the sunset with Laddie, Star and co. The Lost Boys continue to terrorize Santa Carla ;). The title is based on The 69 Eyes' song of the same name - I'd definitely recommend it!**

"Here we are!" Bryana threw her hands into the air with excitement that Catriona didn't share.

"Here we _are_!" the third of their trio, Sophie, parroted, grinning at the bright Santa Carla sky.

Catriona slid her sunglasses up her nose and tried her best to look happy. It wasn't that she didn't want to be there – Santa Carla had been third on her list of places to visit for years now, under Helsinki and above New Zealand. She watched quietly as Bryana withdrew a zebra print flask from her jean pocket, took a swig and handed it to Sophie who did the same before handing it back and the flask went back into its denim home. That moment encapsulated the two reasons why she was unhappy:

1\. For her friends, it was impossible to have a good time without alcohol. Okay, so that was typical for anybody between eighteen and thirty, but with them after two beers they were wasted and Catriona was left playing mother.

2\. She hadn't failed to notice that she had not been offered a drink. Her friends never failed to make her feel like an outside witness to a very happy marriage. She didn't doubt that it was intentional – with her intense shyness, she couldn't simply flounce off and make new friends, and so would dutifully ignore every backhanded compliment and eye roll.

Sometimes she wondered if it was her fault. Catriona was terrible at expressing affection, she always had been, so wouldn't it be natural for her friends to become closer to eachother? Maybe she didn't try hard enough. Even she wouldn't want to be around herself, given the moods she'd been in lately. She sighed before plastering a smile on her face and followed them into the hotel entrance – she owed it to them and herself to at least give it one final shot. She'd have fun on this holiday or die trying.

Their hotel room was ridiculously overpriced for what it actually contained – a perk of being situated on the beach, she supposed. There was no lounge area, simply a bedroom and a bathroom. Upon walking into the room, there were two twin beds to the right (they'd agreed to take turns sharing throughout the two weeks that they'd be there) against the wall, and the wall opposite that was made entirely out of windows, with sliding doors in the middle allowing them to see straight onto the beach.

"So!" Bryana began, clapping her hands together after dumping her case at the foot of one of the beds "I say we get dolled up, find us some dinner and then party. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" echoed Catriona, soon followed by Sophie.

* * *

As soon as the sky grew dark and the boardwalk lit up around them, Catriona knew coming to Santa Carla hadn't been a mistake. There was an easygoing atmosphere combined with a buzz of energy that she found herself completely absorbed in – it definitely didn't scream 'murder capital of the world!'.

"You have to be joking!" her head shot up as she saw Bryana marching away from the liquor store, arms crossed angrily "Stupid country with it's stupid, way too high drinking age!"

Bryana shouted the last part towards the shop.

"They won't serve me! I'm twenty! This is such a joke," her friend huffed, dragging a hair through her black hair "I can't do this whole holiday without any booze. I can't do it!"

"The bars don't check ID," Catriona shrugged, glancing towards all of the hammered teens on the beach, some of which couldn't have even been eighteen yet "We could go find one."

"You don't show up at bars sober," Bryana rolled her eyes "Everybody knows that."

Catriona shrugged and went back to inspecting the goings-on on the boardwalk, resisting the urge to say 'I told you so'. She was just glad she hadn't gone in with Bryana – she was sure she would've gotten the blame, being five foot four always got her ID'd before she went into clubs back in England.

"What about the drink we brought with us? How much did everybody bring?" Sophie offered, looking between the two.

"Bottle of vodka," Catriona bit her lip.

"Apple sours," Bryana muttered, digging through her purse with a scowl for any kind of fake ID she might have forgotten she had.

"Okay and I have a bottle of Jack – that's enough for tonight, right? So we go back into the store, buy some coke to mix with and then worry about tomorrow night's booze...well, tomorrow," Sophie piped up.

"See, problem solved!" Catriona shot a grin to Sophie before glancing back at Bryana who still looked unamused "C'mon man, we'll find somebody to buy us booze tomorrow afternoon."

As much as she had resolved to make the best of her situation with her friends, she knew Bryana wouldn't make it easy for her.

* * *

Half an hour later she found herself nursing a vodka and coke, leaning back on her elbows in the sand and staring up at the stars. Through the glass doors a few meters behind her she could hear Sophie sobbing, clearly past her limit, whilst Bryana warbled along to the music blasting from the speakers. Every so often Bryana would call out, threatening to close the doors because of the draft that was coming through. She'd already done it three times that night as a joke. She chugged the rest of her drink and then dropped the cup beside her in the sand, making a mental note to grab it when she was heading inside. At that point she had two choices – give up drinking for the night, go to bed and get up early, hangover free so she could explore...or drink as much as possible in a short amount of time to try and catch up with her friends and break the rut she found herself in.

She was broken out of her dilemma when she heard voices down the beach. In the dim light she could make out four figures, drawing nearer and nearer until she could actually make out details. They were all guys, and bikers by the looks of their jackets. At first she assumed they were just as drunk as everybody else in the area that night as they stumbled through the sand, laughing and hollering and occasionally trying to shove each-other into the sea. Then they noticed her lying in the sand and stood stock still and fell silent. Then they appeared to be discussing something.

Catriona had no idea where her knee jerk reaction to these four strangers came from, but it shook her to her core. It didn't hit her until she sat up, stared at them hard in the darkness and then one of them looked away from his friends and met her gaze. Immediately her blood ran cold and the only word that ran through her mind was "run!"

Just as she was about to scramble up and make a break for the hotel room, one word echoed through the night air.

"No!"

The one who had looked at her now looked away and at his friend, the one who had shouted. Apparently their discussion was turning into an argument. Feeling frozen on the spot, Catriona did the first thing that came to mind.

"Sophie!" her voice was high pitched and shaky, but it got her friend's attention...and that of the strangers, too.

Almost immediately, Sophie falling into the sand at her side and wrapping her arms around Catriona in a show of drunken affection.

"Kit Kat! What's up, man?"

"I just..I...Uh..." Catriona's mind was going blank as she tried to keep one eye on the strangers "I wanted to...show you...the...the...uh...the moon! Look at it! It's so gorgeous out here!"

"Oooh! It _is_ , isn't it!" Sophie stared up at the sky hazily, a big pretty grin on her face.

"C'mon, let's go inside," Catriona stood up slowly, ignoring the alcohol induced dizziness as she did so, offering a hand to Sophie.

She chanced a glance back towards the strangers, whose focus seemed to flit between her and one of their own. Part of her wanted to laugh. She was being paranoid. She had to be. It was probably the drink making her feel weird...But she'd been raised by her father to always trust her gut instinct, and her gut told her that those guys were trouble. She didn't care if it was just paranoia – she'd rather be safe than sorry. Shutting and locking the glass doors once she was inside, she drew the curtains too before heading straight to the bathroom for a hot shower to get the sand out of her hair, ignoring the odd looks she was getting from her friends. The blonde's shout of "no!" echoed in her head for the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, what was wrong with you last night?"

Catriona winced at Bryana's question.

"What happened last night?" Sophie asked without lifting her head up from where it was resting on the table of the diner they were getting lunch at.

"Some, uh, drunk assholes were catcalling. Made me uncomfortable," Catriona lied, picking at her grilled cheese sandwich.

What was she supposed to say? 'I saw some random guys and became convinced they were out to get me'?

"Hmm," Bryana hummed, losing interest "We got any drink left for tonight?"

"Half a bottle of vodka," Catriona shrugged "Not enough to get more than tipsy."

"Ugh don't talk to me about vodka," Sophie groaned "At least not for another four hours."

"What about Jack Daniels, can we talk about that?" Bryana teased and then giggled when she got flipped the bird for her efforts "So we're gonna laze around on the beach whilst lightweight here recovers?"

"Sounds good," Catriona agreed quietly "I just hope those guys from last night aren't out today..."

Bryana rolled her eyes in the way she always did – the same way that made Catriona wonder why she bothered opening her mouth.

* * *

Their second day in Santa Carla was a good one. After an hour or so of anxiously scanning the beach up and down, looking past fellow tourists for the guys in biker jackets, Catriona relaxed. She was sure she was just being drunkenly paranoid the night before – probably the result of one too many lectures from her parents on staying safe whilst she was gone. She flitted between reading the book she'd brought along and swimming in the ocean with Bryana, all whilst Sophie slept off her hangover on top of a beach towel – they'd dutifully wake her up a few times every hour or so to make her put more sunscreen on or turn over so that she didn't end up burnt on one side.

* * *

It was their second _night_ in Santa Carla that put Catriona on edge. Sunkissed, with limbs pleasantly aching from all of the swimming, Catriona was in a good mood when they set out for the boardwalk that night. They'd all made somewhat of an effort, hoping that it might encourage some good samaritan to share their booze if it came down to it. She had opted for a red velvet skirt, which matched the dark red shade that she dyed her hair, a Guns N' Roses shirt, ripped up the back which made the ladder in her tights look a lot more intentional, and a pair of doc martens.

"What about them?"she nodded her head towards a group sitting around a bonfire, sipping beers.

"Not loud enough," Bryana shook her head "We need people who are already halfway legless – that way they're friendlier and more generous."

Bryana had always had a knack for this kind of thing. Catriona had loved going to parties with her in high school – she'd simply follow Bryana's lead of sidling up to a group, off-handedly mentioning how she hadn't even had a drink yet, and soon they'd be walking away with a case of beer and, on some nights, maybe even some weed.

Their trip down the beach was an unsuccessful one – it was way too early for anybody to be more than tipsy, and therefore not yet generous, and the only people hanging around the liquor store were middle aged and eyed with with distrust whenever they got near. That was, until the sound of motorbikes filled the air. Her suspicion from last night had been right – the four guys from last night sped down the boardwalk on bikes. They were a lot younger than she'd thought they were when she'd been squinting at them in the darkness. They must've been around her age, perhaps a few years older. Catriona let out a laugh without fully meaning to, mainly at her own paranoia the night before.

Then all of their heads turned in her direction as they flew by her and she froze. Her laugh hadn't been loud enough for her friends to hear over the noise of the engines, so there was no way they could've heard her. They didn't slow down, but she was sure she saw them grin – whether it was directed at her or at each other, she didn't know - before they went by her and she could no longer see their faces.

"Oooh, somebody's flustered!" Bryana smirked.

"What do you mean?" Catriona asked, attention snapping back to her friends.

"They totally checked you out!"

"They _smiled_ ," Catriona snorted "They probably felt bad for freaking me out last night."

"Wait, that was them?" Bryana's eyebrows shot up "Assholes."

"They were probably just kidding..." Catriona shook her head, not wanting them to know she'd lied about the catcalling, but with no idea of why she was bothering to defend them.

Catriona was more than ready to push the odd events out of her mind when Sophie spoke.

"Look!" she giggled "They're stopping!"

"No they're not," Catriona snorted, but then she looked to where her friend was gesturing.

Yes they were.

"They're coming over!" Bryana said in a sing song, elbowing Catriona in the ribs.

"No, they're not!" Catriona repeated, protesting, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Yes they were. She briefly wondered what exactly she'd done to piss off the universe or whatever god controlled it. To her relief, they stopped a few meters away, leaning on the wooden rail separating the beach from the boardwalk. She had no idea why she felt so odd around them, nor did she want to know – she wanted to avoid them, get through the holiday and then fly back home, safe, sound and unconfused. However, their distance didn't prevent them staring – and nor did they try to disguise their stares.

"Guys, come on. Let's just go find a bar or something. First round on me," she pleaded.

Big mistake. The mention of a bar seemed to spark an idea in Bryana.

"I think we just found our alcohol suppliers," she announced with a smug smirk towards Catriona "And our little Kit Kat is the key."

"No!" Catriona's voice rose, annoyance flaring up in her chest "Fuck you! No!"

She could barely approach her tutors at university to ask for help with her work – how did Bryana expect her to approach a group of intimidatingly attractive strangers and start asking for favours?!

"Don't be such a bore!" Bryana snapped back, clearly not appreciating Catriona's defiance "That one in the stupid jacket clearly likes you – his friends keep trying to shove him over here!"

Catriona refused to look over to see if this was true.

Bryana continued "The worst they can do is say no!"

"I'm not going to flirt with some stranger for booze! One of you guys do it," Catriona hissed, fully prepared to storm off.

"C'mon, Kit Kat," Sophie broke her silence, trying to diffuse the tension "You're the 'alternative' one, you've got the best chance! We'll be right here and it'll be so worth it! Look, he's cute!"

Catriona considered it briefly, beginning to break under the pressure and chancing a glance towards the focus of their argument. Green eyes met grey and he bit his lip before he gave her a small grin. Just as she was about to begrudgingly agree, Bryana opened her mouth.

"Fucking killjoy," she muttered under her breath.

That was the last straw. Catriona span on her heel and walked away – not towards the bikers, but towards the hotel. She was seething, moreso at Bryana than at Sophie – but she was still angry at Sophie for not siding with her, not that she expected her to. She never did. What did they take her for? Some kind of prostitute? 'Buy me some vodka and I'm all yours!'? Yeah right!

A voice called out behind her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Hey, you! Wait! Hey!"

It took her a few moments to realise that whoever it was was calling after her. After all, it was male and American, her friends were neither of those things. She turned around reluctantly to see the centre of all of her troubles. The attractive blond in the tux jacket – and boy, he _was_ attractive.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews, they always put a smile on my face! I'm trying to keep the updates consistent – I actually have to keep on tearing myself away from writing to study for my exams...but then five minutes later I'm back to writing this again, ha! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story, Paul is my favourite too, he's just so painfully attractive. I'm having a hard time characterising the boys right now, especially David, but I hope I'm doing a half decent job until I get the hang of it and the character dynamics down :) the one thing that is disappointing about the movie is how little the boys are in it :')**

 **Small question – would you rather I post these at a set time (probably twice a week) that way the updates are predictable, or would you like me to just post them as I write – meaning that whilst sometimes updates may be fast (never more than once a day, though) they may also be slower at times because they won't be building up to be posted at a certain time. Makes no difference to me, so I'd rather do what you guys want if there's a collective agreement on one being better than the other.**

* * *

"Um...Hi?" she spoke unsurely, looking at him and then at his friends who were still standing where they had last been, watching with a great amount of interest.

"Ah, an Englishwoman! Nice! Me n' my friends couldn't help but notice you're, uh, situation so we figured we'd invite you to come hang with us." he gave her a boyish grin that screamed 'you know you want to!'.

"I...I don't know you?" she meant for the words to sound strong and confident, but they came out sounding like a bewildered question.

"Oh, right! I'm Paul," he gestured back to his friends, pointing to each one as he rattled off their names "Back there's David, Marko and Dwayne. What do I call you?"

"Catriona," she blinked dumbly.

"And now we know each other!" Paul announced "So you up for it?"

"Just me?" she bit her lip – this was the kind of thing she'd seen on the news a hundred times whenever a girl went missing, but her tactic of following her gut was failing her.

Her instincts had done a complete 180 since the previous night and were now screaming at her to leap into his arms – a thought which made her blush even more heavily.

"Well after what just went down...I figured you wouldn't want them coming with," he chuckled "We're not out ta get you, scout's honour. Just felt like cheering up a pretty lady. Can't have you goin' back to England with a bad impression of my town now, can I?"

She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, conflicted.

"Look," he shrugged, drawing a pocket knife out of his jacket and then holding his free hand up in peace when she jumped before holding it out towards her "Take this. If any of us piss you off, go for the balls."

There was a small voice in the back of her head shouting 'If you get kidnapped, it's your own damn fault!' as she reached out and grasped the closed pocket knife, still warm from being inside his jacket. If he planned on harming her, he definitely wouldn't arm her.

"Awesome! C'mon, you can ride with me," he gave her a grin like a kid on Christmas morning and took her hand, leading her back towards his friends.

She couldn't decide if she found him charming or too forward. Probably both.

The look on her friend's faces made her potentially stupid decision so much more worth it. At first, when they saw her walking back in their direction with Paul, they looked smug – clearly assuming that he'd heard their argument, chased after her and offered to help them out. Bryana had that one smile on her face. The 'butter wouldn't melt' one she did when she wanted somebody to like her. Was that her plan? Get Catriona to reel him in so that Bryana could drink and flirt with him all night? Catriona felt a new bout of anger flare up in her chest. Her friends only seemed to realise that they weren't part of her plans for the night when Paul continued to lead her away, towards his friends who were eyeing her with an odd kind of curiosity.

"Catriona!" Sophie's voice was nervous unsure "Where are you going?"

Paul faltered beside her slightly, as though expecting her to suddenly pull away and go to her friends – which she told herself anybody in their right mind would do. An even greater degree of cheeriness seemed to radiate from him when she ignored Sophie's call and continued to walk with him towards his friends.

Internally, Catriona wasn't as calm and collected as she was pretending to be. She knew she was being horrendously stupid. What girl in her right mind would agree to flounce off with four men that she didn't know? But a small part of herself that she couldn't control wanted nothing more than to be around the man at her side, emphasised by the warm feeling in her chest that seemed to kick in the moment their eyes locked. The larger part of herself that she _could_ control was a slave to curiosity – why was she reacting so strongly to this random stranger? Surely if he was dangerous, she wouldn't feel so safe? Surely there'd be alarm bells ringing, the way they had the previous night? Her mind flitted to the missing person's board that they'd walked past countless times, each time it seemed to have a new face on it. They'd probably felt safe around whoever had hurt them, too. The pocket knife still sat reassuringly in her palm.

"Pick up a stray, Paul?" the one who Paul had said was David smirked.

"Sure did. Can we keep her?" Paul joked, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"We'll see," David shrugged, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his jacket "What's your name, sweetheart?"

She couldn't tell if he was being mocking or friendly – but the others weren't laughing at her, so she assumed friendly. He lit the cigarette and watched her expectantly.

"Catriona," she offered her hand and he shook it with his free one "Paul told me your names."

"English?" he blew the smoke out of the corner of his mouth, away from her, whilst tilting his head and eyeing her with renewed interest.

"Scottish," she corrected with a small smile "Raised in England from seven, though."

"'Bout time we got some class around here," he nodded slowly.

Catriona was beginning to suspect that David's smirk was a facial feature.

"Your friends don't seem too happy," he raised his eyebrows and nodded towards somewhere behind her.

She turned her head slightly to see Bryana and Sophie staring at her incredulously, hissing at eachother every so often. Bryana had her arms crossed and Sophie was gesturing wildly for her to come back, eyes wide. Catriona turned back to the Lost Boys. She knew she now had two options – and they knew it too, watching her in anticipation to see what she'd choose. It was almost like a test. She ran it over in her head briefly. She considered quietly excusing herself and going back to her friends. But then what? A night full of bitchy comments from Bryana? Comforting Sophie once she passed her limit and started to cry over nothing? No matter what she did with her friends, she couldn't win. If she was nice, she got walked all over and if she wasn't she was treated as though she was unreasonable. So Catriona made her choice.

"Fuck 'em."

The words felt liberating to say, and she couldn't help the grin that spread onto her lips – one that the Lost Boys mirrored perfectly, even David.

"Let's go have some fun," David put out his half-smoked cigarette and tucked it behind his ear before leading the way just down the boardwalk to where the bikes were.

"Ever ridden a motorcycle before, babe?" Paul let go of her hand and moved his arm around her shoulder, bringing her in closer as though he was telling her a secret.

"Never," she admitted sheepishly, wondering if that was some kind of sin amongst her new hosts.

"Better ride with me, then," Dwayne cut in teasingly before Paul could respond "Paul can't ride for shit."

"I ain't the one who got all up close and personal with a tree last week," Paul snorted in response, ego clearly wounded.

"Nah, but last year you rode your bike off the pier on a dare," Marko joined in now, clearly enjoying the destruction of Paul's ego.

"That was on purpose, though!" Paul argued, as though that made his actions completely reasonable "I've never turned down a dare, didn't plan on starting there."

"So how about no dares when I'm on the bike?" she gave a nervous laugh – she was worried enough about riding one as it was.

"At least not until you're used to being on one," Marko offered in compromise, offering her what she was sure he thought was a reassuring smile.

So they intended for her to get used to being around them? This thought had her fighting back a blush – she'd known these guys for all of ten minutes and they were practically adopting her into the fold. The atmosphere that seemed to flow between them was so easygoing and playful that she found herself being happy about their seemingly immediate acceptance of her, however odd the circumstances were.

They were at the bikes when Catriona felt a hand grasp her elbow, pulling her back slightly. She whipped around and suddenly the smiles were off of the boys' faces, replaced with cold, challenging smirks when they saw who it was.

Sophie was clinging to her elbow, out of breath from chasing after them and Bryana was catching up behind her, clearly not willing to run as Sophie had.

"What are you doing?" Sophie asked Catriona, eyes wide and flitting between her and the gang of bikers around her.

"I'm gonna go hang out," Catriona shrugged coldly, still pissed.

"Catriona, you can't be serious!" Sophie was looking at her as though she'd gone mad, tightening her grip when Catriona went to pull her arm free.

"You don't even know them!" Bryana was incredulous when she caught up.

Funny, that wasn't what she was saying a few minutes ago, Catriona thought.

"Sure I do. This is Paul, that's Marko, David and Dwayne," she blinked innocently as she gestured to each of the Lost Boys.

They snickered at her response, which gave her an odd sense of pride that she quickly buried.

"You're not funny!" Bryana snapped, grabbing ahold of the same arm that Sophie was tugging at, causing Catriona to wince "This is stupid. This is _dangerous_."

"Hey, let go of her," Paul snapped, pulling her back towards his friends, causing Catriona's friends to jump and let go, clearly not expecting the bikers to play an active role in the argument.

"Cat's a big girl," David cut in coolly, diffusing the situation almost immediately with his air of authority "She can make her own choices."

He then turned to Catriona, quirking an eyebrow "You wanna come with us?"

"Yeah," she shrugged simply, much to the amusement of the boys and the anger of the girls.

"See? Problem solved. Let's go," however David didn't move first, he simply stared down Bryana until she took a step backwards.

"If you get murdered-," Bryana began angrily, annoyed at losing the argument, but Catriona cut her off.

"Fucking killjoy," she snorted in Bryana's direction and felt a rush of delight at the look of outrage on her face.

If she hadn't been so angry at the time, Catriona would have felt bad. Under normal circumstances she never would've been so openly antagonistic to anybody – not least her friends – but something in her had snapped when Bryana had muttered those words in her direction barely ten minutes beforehand, and the thrill of her small revenge was worth it.

Paul gave a bark of a laughter, clapping her on the shoulder before pulling her away towards his bike. She couldn't help but Bryana a smug smile before she turned and followed him to the bike, showing her where to put her foot to climb on after him. When Catriona next looked in the direction of her friends, they were no longer there. She climbed onto the back of Paul's bike and shyly wrapped her arms around his waist, knowing she was either making the best or the worst decision of her life. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to believe that anything bad could happen to her around this exciting, slightly odd, gang.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Longest chapter so far! I know that the movie might suggest (and the novel adaptation definitely does) that The Lost Boys are teenagers (well, were teenagers when they were turned), but seeing as all of the actors were in their early 20s when the movie came out/when it was filmed, I've chosen to make them a bit older. I forgot to mention, I pronounce Catriona like Cah-tree-oh-nah, sorry for not mentioning that earlier! She's named after the lovely Caitriona Balfe, who is Irish, but it's a Scottish name too. I'm trying to make Paul quite forward but not to a creepy, inappropriate extent – so if Catriona pushed him away, he'd get the message and be less hands-on, if you follow. I hope I'm doing a decent job.**

* * *

Ten seconds into her first motorbike ride, all Catriona could thing of was the countless horror stories her parents had told her about them, growing up. How so many people had died because of them and how unsafe they were.

Twenty seconds in, however, she never wanted to travel any other way again.

Paul seemed to relax as she did, and she briefly wondered if her nerves had been affecting him too. Moments after she'd relaxed, he sped up considerably and Catriona's heart lept into her throat.

"You gonna trust me, babe?" he roared back to her over the noise of the engines.

"Why?" she pulled herself even closer so she could speak into his ear.

Then she saw the approaching tree-line "Oh, shit!"

"Yeah?" he encouraged with a laugh as the trees grew nearer and nearer.

"Yeah!" she forced out, fighting the temptation to close her eyes.

"Hold tight!" he warned before speeding up even more.

She scooted even closer and clung to Paul for dear life as he haphazardly weaved between the trees, missing some by only a few inches.

"Holy shit," she breathed, relaxing once more and enjoying the feeling.

She felt like she was flying. Soon she was cheering along with the Lost Boys, and even let go of Paul to let her arms stretch out at her sides - it was only for a few seconds, before she lost her nerve and clung to Paul again, but it felt magical.

When the bikes stopped, she was puzzled. She'd been expecting to pull up at some kind of house or an apartment block, but all she could see was cliffs. Paul helped her off of his bike and she knelt slightly to tuck his pocket knife into one of her boots - she'd been holding it the whole ride, and felt awkward just hanging around with it in her hand.

"C'mon, this way," David called, leading the way down a set of wooden stairs that looked precarious at best.

Not wanting to look like a wimp, she pretended not to be phased by the way the stairs creaked and shifted underneath their weight - and she struggled to hide her wince when Paul began to jump and stomp on them, giggling like a child when he saw her reaction.

"It's fine, babe! Totally safe!" he reassured, adding in another jump for good measure.

She was relieved once they'd cleared the stairs, but still all she saw was the cliffside and a large amount of rocks.

"Where are we going?" she called ahead to David.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Cat!" he called back with a smirk.

She kept her mouth shut after that, navigating the rocks with little difficulty thanks to her boots - although that didn't stop Paul from acting the gentleman and offering his hand every so often to help her over them.

"You should wear jeans next time," he snorted good-naturedly when he saw her struggling against the wind, fighting to keep her skirt down.

"Not that he minds!" Dwayne called back with a bark of laughter.

Catriona was beginning to lose her patience, especially when they began to enter a cave. Was this what that long journey was for? To sit in a cave? And one with a big sign reading **NO TRESPASSING!** at that?

"Catriona..." David trailed off and sent her a pointed look.

"Mackenzie," she supplied her surname.

"Catriona Mackenzie," David continued, unphazed "I give you the Lost Cave."

As if on cue, Dwayne dumped the torch he'd taken from the wall into an old oil drum, the room lit up and Catriona was speechless.

The cave was, in a word, amazing. In the middle sat an old fountain and scattered around it were sofas, a boom box, and even a mattress in the corner that looked like it hadn't been used in years. She breathed out a laugh at the portrait of Jim Morrison propped up against one of the walls. She definitely liked these guys.

"You smoke, Cat?" David questioned as she surveyed the cave with awe.

She looked back towards him to see the pack of cigarettes being offered her way.

"Not tobacco," she admitted softly "Thanks."

The boys chuckled whilst Paul gave a delighted groan "A girl after my own heart. Here."

Within moments a lit joint was being handed to her and she gave Paul a shy smile.

"Ever hear the phrase 'I want, never get'?" David asked, sauntering over to one of the sofas and falling down onto it.

"Yeah," she nodded, taking a draw.

"Doesn't apply here," he shot her a smug grin and Catriona couldn't help but laugh.

"So you guys hang out here every night?" she asked, continuing her inspection of the cave "This is amazing."

"Nah," Paul spoke up now, not looking up from the ancient looking boom box he was messing with "We live here, girl."

She stared at him, dumbfounded before wondering if the weed was affecting her a bit too much.

"You live here?" she raised her eyebrows, turning to the others for confirmation.

"Home sweet home," Marko nodded, and they all grinned in amusement at her shock.

"This is fucking awesome," she murmured.

"Come pick out some music," Paul gestured for her to move over to the stacks of CDs and tapes, precariously stacked on top of each other.

"This a test?" she joked, the drugs making her more confident in her interactions with the Lost Boys, handing him the joint back so she could rifle through the stack.

"Definitely," he nodded, a faux-serious expression on his face "Can't be one of us if you don't know what good music is."

Be one of them? She managed to fight the smile that began to form on her lips and turned it into a smirk instead. After a few moments she'd made her choice – Guns n' Roses' _Appetite for Destruction_. Predictable, since she was wearing one of their shirts, but a safe choice and one that Paul seemed to approve of, for he grinned when she handed it to him and called back to his friends "We're keepin' her!"

She felt her cheeks heat up again and moved to sit down on one of the unoccupied sofas, opposite to David. Somewhere behind her, Paul gave a cheer of triumph when the tape began to play.

"So, Cat," he sighed as though he was about to begin some kind of tedious job interview "What brings you to Santa Carla?"

"I'm on holiday," she shifted slightly when Paul fell onto the sofa beside her, but personal space didn't seem to be an issue with him as he slung an arm behind her on the back of the sofa.

"Holiday," she gave Paul a shy smile as the last of the joint was handed back to her.

"Ha, _holiday_ ," Marko mimicked in an English accent with a teasing grin.

"Fine, _vacation_ ," she put on an overly exaggerated version of an American accent and the boys laughed, visibly surprised at how well she took the jibe.

David snickered at her response "How long you here, Cat?"

"Two weeks. Got here yesterday," she shrugged, not failing to notice the pointed look David gave Paul as she spoke "Our plan was to spend two weeks partying our asses off whilst avoiding the winter in Britain."

It was two days away from New Year's Eve, but the weather in Santa Carla gave no indication of that. Sure, it got darker earlier and so the days were shorter, but it was still scorching hot when the sun was up, by her standards, having been used to the cold, rainy weather in Britain.

"'Our'? You and your friends?" David tilted his head and Catriona got the feeling that he was trying to work her out – like some kind of puzzle.

The way he said the word 'friends' told her exactly what he thought of them. She gave a sigh.

"We were best friends in high school. I moved away for university, they stayed in the same city. They got closer to each other, I...drifted," she shrugged "It's no big deal."

Their little holiday together had been intended to remedy that. It wasn't working too well so far.

"Looked like a big deal."

The only thing that stopped her from snapping at him and asking why he was so interested in her personal life in the first place was how much he intimidated her. The smirk on his face told her that he knew that.

"Alright," he held his hands up in mock surrender "I got one more question."

"Go on," she nodded.

"You hungry?"

The atmosphere lightened immediately, Marko went out to retrieve pizza and the music was turned up full blast. The one thing Catriona couldn't work out was why they were so amused when she told them she was vegetarian – Paul had laughed so hard he nearly went purple.

* * *

 **A few hours later, with Paul and David**

"You're sure she is?" David's voice was more insistent than impatient as he glanced towards Catriona who sat with Dwayne on the other side of the cave.

"I'm positive," Paul nodded – he'd struggled to hide his reaction towards her when she rode on the bike with him, pressed up tightly against his back.

But then he grabbed David's arm when he went to turn in the direction of the jewelled bottle kept hidden away out of sight "But...I wanna do it the other way, man."

"The other way?" David was incredulous as he stared at his sheepish friend "Then we can't do it tonight."

"I know," Paul nodded, holding up his hands "But like, what's the rush? We got two weeks."

"What's the rush?" David found himself repeating Paul's words once again "What if she goes back in the morning and her friends convince her not to come back, huh? What if after twelve days, the other way still isn't an option? You choose _now_ to be a sucker for tradition? Really?"

"She feels it too! I know she does!" Paul held his own well "All we gotta do is turn her against her friends and she'll be eating outta the palm of our hands. Hell, she pretty much likes us more than them already!"

"And you think she'll be willing to do what needs to be done, if you only give her a two day time frame?" David snorted "We do it now – the easy way – before she even has a chance to change her mind about us, then we've got eleven days to convince her."

"No," Paul's response came out louder than he meant it to, and he saw Cat look up, out of the corner of his eye.

David glared at Paul silently for a few moments before sighing.

"Fine. Have it your way. But I ain't dealing with the mess...and don't come crying to me when she ends up flying back to England and you never see her again."

David spun on heel and strode away from Paul, grabbing a bottle of Jack from the fountain ledge as he did and returned to his seat with a face like thunder. Paul ignored the look of alarm that Cat had on her face when he returned to her side. He was going to show her the best damn week of her life, and there'd be no way she'd leave after that.

* * *

It was 4am before Paul stood up and declared that he'd give her a ride back to her hotel, but Catriona didn't mind – if anything she was sad that the night was over. Once she'd gained some confidence around the boys (something she attributed to the drugs and alcohol), she found that she loved their company. Marko reminded her of her brother – full of banter, but well meaning for the most part. Once Dwayne and David had discovered that she was studying literature, they ended up debating over books for hours – something which surprised Cat, because they didn't _look_ like big readers, but she supposed that would teach her for judging a book by it's cover (pun not intended). She even learned to appreciate the strong, intimidating presence that David had – finding his dark sense of humour hilarious once she got used to it.

Then there was Paul. Catriona was at a loss as to how she felt about Paul, other than confused. It wasn't that she didn't like him – far from it – but she felt like she shouldn't. Back in England, had anybody been as forward with her as Paul was upon their first meeting, calling her 'babe', casually touching her, she would have promptly told them to piss off...but with Paul, she enjoyed it and that scared her. He was funny, and his big personality made up big time for how shy she was, and even encouraged her to be less shy. He acted like she'd be absurd for even considering being shy around him. From the get-go she'd felt comfortable with him. They clicked. It also helped that he was so handsome that she struggled to look him in the eye at times.

"The sun'll be up soon," she murmured, climbing off of the back of his bike "I can't believe how late it is."

"Nah, got another hour or two," he surveyed the dark sky for a moment before following her lead, climbing from the bike and slinging an arm around her shoulders "I'll walk you back to your place."

She'd almost forgotten about the previous night and their encounter on the beach – he must have remembered where she was staying. The boardwalk was dark and empty as they walked down it, and she was sure she'd be a little creeped out had she been alone.

"You guys are amazing, you know," she laughed quietly, still slightly drunk and unable to filter much between her brain and her mouth.

They descended the stairs and began to walk along the beach – she'd enter the hotel room via the sliding doors rather than walking through the hotel lobby, that way she wouldn't need to deal with odd looks from whoever was working the front desk.

"I do," he chuckled "But go on, babe. Stroke my ego some more."

"Nah, man," she giggled "But it's true! Just the whole kinda...I dunno...the 'in it together' kinda vibe, you know? Like you'd do anything for eachother. I wish I had that."

"You could," he shrugged.

"Nah, my friends aren't too keen on me these days," she snorted, leaning her head against his shoulder and deciding to unabashedly enjoy his arm being around her – she'd tell herself off for it when she was sober, but at that time she didn't care.

"Didn't mean with them," he pulled her closer and Catriona didn't know what to say, so she said nothing.

A few minutes later they stood outside her hotel room. It was dark inside, but the curtains hadn't been drawn and figures occupied both beds – Bryana was spread out across hers, leaving no room for another, Catriona suspected deliberately, and Sophie looked like she'd attempted to do the same. She gave a sigh.

"Assholes," Paul snorted "Y'know if you wanna stay at the cave-"

He looked unsure about his offer before he even finished it, so Catriona shook her head with a small smile.

"It's fine. If I wake Sophie up, she'll move over. She's not as mean as Bryana wants her to be," she turned now so that her back was to the sliding doors and she faced Paul.

"So, I guess this is goodnight," she spoke unsurely.

"Or good day," he snickered.

"Sure, good day," she laughed quietly and then his lips were on hers.

At first Catriona didn't quite realise what was going on – she'd only been kissed once before and she'd been expecting it at the time, plus she hadn't even liked the guy that much, but at 17 she'd been the only one amongst her friends and felt like she should change that. This time was very different. When she froze and didn't react, Paul stopped and went to pull away. That was when Catriona's brain kicked in.

Gripping the lapels of his jacket, she pulled him closer and shifted onto her tip-toes so that he didn't need to lean down as much. She could have sworn she felt him snicker before his hands went to her waist and his lips became more heated and insistent against hers. Reassured that he wasn't going anywhere, she let go of his jacket and wrapped her arms around his neck. He tasted of weed and whisky and something else that she didn't recognise, but it suited him perfectly.

And just like that, the kiss was over. He grinned down at her, remnants of her lipstick on his lips.

"I still have your knife," she murmured, at a loss for anything else to say.

He blinked in shock, clearly wondering if that was some kind of threat.

"I-I mean," she stopped and laugh "I figured you'd want it back."

It was in her boot, beside her cash and hotel room key.

"Hold onto it for now, babe," he murmured, chuckling quietly "I'll see you tonight, right?"

"Right," she nodded – no way would she pass up hanging out with the Lost Boys in favour of getting berated by Bryana all night, it would be bad enough when she woke up.

They said nothing for a few moments, the only sound being the ocean waves. Then he turned and looked up at the sky before sighing. She wondered if he was one of those people who knew how to tell the time by the way the sky looked – although she was sure that involved the sun, and the sun wasn't up.

"I gotta go," he said it reluctantly, as though he'd rather stay "Tonight, yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded and felt her cheeks burn when he pecked her on the lips before he took off down the beach.

She didn't know what she was getting into, but at that time she was content to lean against the glass doors and watch the ocean glimmer in the moonlight, the taste of Paul's kiss still on her lips.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: These reviews are always making me smile! I've decided to make the year in which this takes place pretty ambiguous – after all, the boys would look pretty odd wandering around in 2015 dressed the way they are, although it was a fantastic look for the 80s, but I picture it being quite a while after Star/Michael etc. I'm sorry for the delay in this chapter – exams are drawing nearer and must be prioritised.**

* * *

When Catriona woke up, her head was pounding. This wasn't helped by the hair dryer being used around a foot away from her. With a muffled groan, she rolled over and winced, realising she'd been lying on her hair. Mentally scolding herself and making a note to get it cut sometime soon – it was down to her mid-back and becoming a nightmare to deal with when she was feeling lazy. Eventually when her head stopped pounding, she spoke.

"What time is it?" she called out to the room, refusing to open her eyes.

No answer. Then she remembered the events of the previous night...and the fact that her friends were undoubtedly angry at her. She groaned again.

"It's two pm," Sophie's voice answered her eventually.

Sophie always wanted to please everybody, and so no matter how much Bryana had probably ordered her to ignore Catriona the previous night, Catriona knew she wouldn't be completely phased out.

Slowly, she sat up and cracked one eye open. When she didn't immediately want to vomit, she opened the other. The hair dryer was turned off.

"When did you get back?" Sophie asked, doing a terrible job at hiding her curiosity, earning herself a glare from Bryana.

"She got back at four am," Bryana sniffed "I saw her."

"That all you see, Bryana?" Catriona snorted, knowing what Bryana was getting at.

She wasn't going to feel bad over what happened, and she certainly wasn't going to let her blackmail her over it. She hadn't finished being happy about it quite yet.

"You know what I saw," Bryana sneered.

"What Bryana is getting at, Sophie," Catriona laughed slightly, refusing to let her good mood be ruined "Is that she saw me kissing Paul last night. Scandalous, right?"

Sophie was wide eyed, her gaze shifting between Bryana and Catriona, clearly at odds over how she was meant to respond.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Bryana turned around, ready to begin the argument that had been building up "You go off with four perfect strangers! All of them guys, at that!"

"You were fine with the idea when there was something in it for you," Catriona climbed out of the bed and crossed her arms.

"Oh don't be so bloody dramatic," Bryana's hands were running through her dark curly hair now "You were gonna go up, get some booze and then we'd all hang out together, if with them at all! That's a hell of a lot different from you going off with the four of them _alone_ on a goddamn _motorbike_!"

"I don't need this," Catriona rolled her eyes – the Lost Boys would never give eachother this amount of shit over something so stupid, and her mind wandered back to her conversation with Paul the previous night "I'm going for a shower."

"You probably need one," Bryana snorted under her breath.

"What was that?" Catriona spun on her heel and raised an eyebrow at Bryana.

Normally she would've let it go. She would have pretended not to hear it and gone ahead with her shower, fully aware that her friends were probably talking about her in the next room. She couldn't believe how much her night with the Lost Boys had changed her attitude. Then again, it wasn't like she even needed her friends during the holiday anymore. Paul had made it clear that he planned to hang out with her again that night. She needn't rely on her friends.

"I said you probably need it. God only knows what you were up to last night," Bryana wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Ha, yeah, sure," Catriona shook her head, before continuing on sarcastically "That's right. I slept with _all_ of them. That's me, an insatiable slut."

"Well if the shoe fits," Bryana was staring at her straight on, daring her to retaliate.

"What is your fucking problem?" Catriona gave an incredulous laugh "Like, is this really about Paul? You're upset that I kissed an attractive guy who likes me? How dare I!"

" _Likes you_? You really think he's gonna keep you around much longer? He's probably got a bet on with his friends about how long it'll take him to sleep with you."

"Guys," Sophie tried to cut in meekly.

"We're here for two weeks, Bryana. You think I'm sitting here planning my wedding? I know what I'm getting into!" Catriona felt herself begin to shake with pure anger.

"I know you, _Kit Kat_ ," Bryana scoffed "You've never shown one ounce of interest in any guy since we were like thirteen, and now you're pretending casual flings are your thing? You must _really_ like this guy to be kissing him after less than twelve hours."

"Oh go fuck yourself, Bryana," Catriona giggled incredulously.

"Go fuck _Paul_."

"Why do you think I'm trying to get ready?!"

She slammed the door behind her once she was in the bathroom and only then dropped the facade, not wanting Bryana to know how much she'd gotten to her. After turning the shower on, she buried her face in her hands, letting out a loud sigh. What the hell was she doing?

* * *

The more time that passed on the boardwalk without the telltale noise of motorbike engines, the more smug Bryana became. That was, until Catriona was quite literally swept off of her feet from behind and spun around in circles.

Surprise turned to panic, and then finally amusement when she realised who it was. She only barely managed to avoid kicking a few strangers as her legs swung out before her.

"You asshole," she laughed breathlessly once he put her down, turning round to smack him on the arm.

"And here I was worrying that you'd have gone all shy again," he beamed down at her playfully.

"Didn't think you were capable of worrying."

"Hey, babe, I'm just trying to get the prettiest girl on the boardwalk to spend some time with me," he said, clearly quite proud of how cheesy his words were.

"Well, then I suggest you go and find her!" Catriona teased, a grin on her own face now – Paul's cheery attitude was infectious.

"C'mon – we got a bonfire goin' on the beach," he gestured for her to follow, never once acknowledging her friends.

"Bye then!" she heard Bryana call after them sarcastically but didn't acknowledge it.

"We're not going to the cave?" she frowned, jogging a bit at first to catch up with his long stride.

"Nah – got a surprise," he grinned "But first we gotta wait until three a.m."

"Well, that explains everything," she quipped and he laughed, but ignored the question behind her words.

* * *

"Your friends didn't seem to happy," she was lying in the sand as he spoke to her, her feet facing the bonfire whilst Paul sat cross-legged beside her, facing her.

His face was in shadows as he faced away from the fire, making it pointless to look at him, so she lay there with her eyes closed

"Ha. Yeah," she sighed and resisted the urge to rub her eyes tiredly "Bryana accused us of screwing."

"Finally a role I can live up to," she could almost hear the crooked grin on his face.

"Thing is...When I argue with Bryana, she always tries to accuse me of all sorts of shit. When I got better grades than her in high school, she accused me of cheating. It's just a tactic to create an argument – I'll be offended, deny it, she'll continue with all kinds of 'proof' that she's right to try and upset me...blah, blah, blah."

"Nice psychological analysis. Go on."

"So...when she accused me of screwing you...all of the guys, actually..."

"Shit. Busy girl!"

"Shut up," she giggled, feeling her cheeks burn "I just...kinda said 'sure, of course I did!'...She probably didn't believe me or anything – it was really sarcastic but, like, don't be surprised if she makes some kind of comment at some point...I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, I'll tell her the truth if you want."

"Well shit, babe, no need," he snorted, moving so that he was lying on his front beside her in the sand "You at least give me a good review?"

"Two stars," she joked.

"Out of five?!"

"Out of ten," she snickered.

"Now that's just a complete lie."

His voice was beside her ear now and she opened her eyes, shifting her head to the right so that they were practically nose to nose.

"Is it, now?"

He tilted his face upwards so that their lips met and Catriona's eyes fluttered closed as they both rose slightly to make the position less awkward. Her hand that wasn't supporting her weight lifted to his face, her thumb running over the stubble on his cheeks. They only separated upon the jeers of the boys.

"I don't even wanna know what happened on that bike ride last night!" Marko called over from the other side of the fire.

"Okay...three out of five," she grinned breathlessly at him.

Paul growled and kissed her again.

* * *

The boardwalk lights went off at 2am, and an hour later the area was nearly empty and the boys began to rise.

"Time to get going," David was smirking at her in a way that made her worry.

They kicked sand over the bonfire until it went out and then made their way up to the boardwalk and stopped in front of the, now closed, _Giant Dipper_.

They easily climbed over the fence that was there to block tourists out during closing hours.

Up they went, until they stood next to the roller coaster tracks, the coaster cars all neatly lined up one behind the other, waiting for opening in the morning. David climbed into one and for a moment she thought he was going to sit down, before he began manoeuvring himself over them until he could walk along the tracks.

"We're not," her eyes widened when she realised his intention "We can't!"

"Who can't?" Paul grinned "C'mon, we'll climb up the easy way! It's totally safe – ain't turned on 'til morning."

The rest of the boys had had other ideas, moving to another part of the roller coaster to try and scale the metal structure from the ground upwards. Paul continued to guide her up the roller coaster tracks and Catriona squinted in the darkness, trying to make sure she wouldn't fall. One false step could lead to her falling over the edge. Eventually she began to pretend she was just walking up a steep hill – the incline wasn't too steep and if she clung to Paul's arm hard enough, she wasn't too panicky. From the way Paul was walking, practically strutting, you'd have thought he was just taking a stroll down the beach. After a few minutes they were at the top and Paul sat down, gesturing for her to do the same.

"C'mon, babe, it's safe, scout's honour."

He sat back from the edge slightly, legs spread and gestured for her to sit between them. She did so, feeling only slightly comforted at the feeling of his back pressed up against her and his arms wrapped securely around her torso.

She only barely managed to conceal her panic as he shifted behind her to remove a joint from his jacket before he placed it between her lips and lit it for her.

"Do you not think this is really weird?" she asked contemplatively after a few moments of smoking in silence, passing the joint behind her and placing it between his lips.

"What, being seventy feet up in the air, smoking weed?" his words were muffled slightly.

"Being seventy feet up in the air, smoking weed with a girl you've only known about thirty hours...who you happen to kiss from time to time."

"What's your point?" his tone was amused – he clearly had no time for her habit of beating around the bush.

"We barely know eachother...but we kiss."

"You want us to stop?" she could hear the frown in his tone.

"No!" she surprised herself with her quick response and then gave an embarrassed laugh, leaning back in his arms "But I do want to get to know you, I guess."

"Thanks for the enthusiasm," he teased, blowing smoke away from her "Ask away."

"Anything?"

"Anything," he rested his chin on her right shoulder and she struggled not to squirm at the way his stubble tickled her neck.

"Biggest fear," she gently took the joint from between his lips and placed it between hers.

"Boredom," he shrugged.

"Figures," she gave a small laugh.

"What about you?"

"Death," she sighed "I know it's stupid – it's inevitable, after all, but still scares me. That and old age, but like...loneliness in old age. Last thing I want is to be ninety years old and living alone with nobody to talk to, sitting in some old nursing home, bored senseless."

"Boredom's worse than death."

"Boredom can be cured."

"You think death can't be?"

She gave him an odd look before laughing quietly.

"What's your family like?" he asked the question this time.

"Loaded question."

"Got nothin' but time."

He removed the joint from between her lips and placed it between his own again.

"Mum's a force of nature – typical mother bear. Jamie, my brother, is pretty much my best friend. I gave up our New Year's Eve tradition to be here," she sighed before chuckling "He'd hate you though."

"What've I done?" he sniggered.

"Well, there was last night...and then again about an hour ago...and then this, now..."

"Well shit, guess I should stop, then."

"I never pegged you as the type to try and please others."

"You sayin' I didn't please you?"

"Three stars," she reminded him with a quiet laugh "What's your family like?"

"You wound me. And you've met 'em," he said simply "Lost Boys are my brothers."

"Not biologically?"

"Biology don't mean a thing," she felt his head move on her shoulder so he could observe her "You never mentioned your dad."

"Don't know him too well," she explained "Skipped out on us when I was like five. Sends me money every once in a while, few phone calls a week – I can usually guilt trip a few gifts out of him every now and then too."

"Sucks."

"Nah, it doesn't," she laughed "Bought me these boots. I don't need anybody who doesn't need me."

"Good. Biggest dream?"

"Learn _everything_."

"Not one for ambition then, huh?"

"Shut up! What's yours? Smoke your body weight in weed?"

"Please, at least give me a challenge!"

"Nah, look, right," she giggled, seizing the joint and taking a draw "I read once that it takes eleven years to fully master a skill. So, say I live to like...eighty-eight, best case scenario. That's sixty-eight years left, I got time to master six skills with the rest of my life, and that's depressing."

"Being cheerful ain't one of those skills, is it?"

"Shut up!" she snorted good-naturedly.

"You lookin' forward to goin' back?"

"To England?"

He made a noise that indicated 'yes'.

"I'm having more fun here than I thought I would," she admitted "So...no. Not just yet."

"What was your New Year's Eve tradition?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"Hey, you said we barely know each other!"

"Point taken," she laughed, handing him the last of the joint back "We'd eat our leftover junkfood from Christmas, make fun of the cheesy crap on TV and butcher _Auld Lang Syne_ once it hit midnight."

He nodded and it went quiet for a few moments before Catriona spoke up.

"What do you _do_?" she asked – the question had been plaguing her since the previous night, but she'd been too embarrassed to ask in front of everybody.

"...This," he shrugged, gesturing around him.

"Nah, but like, a job? School?"

"No job, no school," he snorted as though the suggestion was absurd.

The Lost Boys were quickly turning into the strangest group of people Catriona had ever met. Paul found this particularly funny when she told him this, and she felt him chuckling behind her for a good long time. She quite liked the feeling.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay so this is a super short one – originally I was going to put it at the beginning of the next chapter, but I don't think it fits very well with it, so I'll just post it by itself. Enjoy! And again, thank you all for the lovely reviews.**

* * *

They stayed up there for a good hour, playfully interrogating each other, smoking and relaxing.

"Time to go," Paul got up unsteadily before helping up Catriona.

"Oh shit," Catriona felt her head spin as she turned and looked down the roller coaster – they would go back the way they'd came, the less steep option, but it was still a hell of a way down.

"C'mere," Paul moved so that he was in front of her and then, slightly awkwardly, held his elbows out behind him "Grab hold."

She placed her hands in the crooks of his elbows and slowly, they began to descend, the odd fit of giggles hitting them every so often at how bizarre they probably looked. Across from them on the other side of the roller coaster she could just make out David, hanging upside down on part of the metal structure, his knees over a bar – he looked like some kind of oversized bat.

It was easy going for the most part of the journey down, Catriona simply focused on Paul's back and putting one foot in front of the other. That was, until Paul slipped. They'd been around half way down the roller coaster, going the same way they'd come up, and his boot had gone into some kind of oil or grease on the tracks. They went down in seconds, Paul's weight crashing on top of Catriona as they slid the last few feet down the coaster, stopping when Paul's feet hit the first passenger car, preventing them from sliding down any further. A searing pain erupted from Catriona's left arm and she gave a whimper of pain.

Paul shifted slightly and gave a hiss but made no move to actually move off of her. Almost immediately the boys were over and Paul was being pulled off of Catriona before she even had time to wonder how they'd moved so quickly. She sat up and gave another ragged moan of pain. Bringing her right hand to her left arm, she cursed weakly when it came away wet with blood. The metal of the roller coaster had torn right through her skin.

"What happened?!" David was grabbing Paul by the arm, ignoring the way the latter was breathing heavily "What'd you do?"

"Cut my fucking arm when we fell," she groaned, muttering a thank you to Marko as he helped her up.

Soon David was dragging Paul away, no word of explanation from either of them, leaving Catriona stunned and in pain with Marko and Dwayne.

"He faints when he sees blood," Marko offered with a sympathetic half-smile "Pansy. C'mon, we'll find a street light, check out the damage."

And so, Catriona's night ended as she stood underneath a street light whilst Marko poured Vodka down her throat to distract her from the pain as Dwayne poured another bottle on her arm, partially to disinfect the cut and partially to wash the blood away so he could get a decent look.

"Don't need stitches, cut up pretty bad though," Dwayne told her quietly as he pulled a bandana from the back pocket of his jeans and began to wrap it around her arm, tightly.

She gave another hiss of pain and pulled her face away from the vodka bottle as she struggled not to wretch.

"I'll get you another bandana," she offered half-heartedly, wincing as he pulled it tighter one last time before tying it.

He chuckled at that and clapped her on her good arm "Don't worry about it."

"Are...Are Paul and David coming back?" she frowned, looking up and down the empty boardwalk.

"It's nearly morning," Dwayne muttered as though that was meant to be an answer.

"He's probably off puking in a dumpster," Marko snorted after sharing a brief look with Dwayne "C'mon girl, we'll take you home."

She'd sobered up from the weed upon cutting her arm, but the vodka she'd chugged was getting to her and her arm was throbbing like crazy. It took most of her attention to simply stumble along the beach beside the two Lost Boys.

"How did you guys get over so fast?" she frowned at them, looking up from the sand beneath her "Like, you would've had to climb up and then walk along the tracks...you got there in like two seconds."

"We were like five minutes, Cat," Marko snickered slightly "How much you been smokin' tonight?"

"We're used to the tracks," Dwayne shrugged casually "Except Paul, apparently."

Marko snickered at that jab and Catriona bit her lip. Why _had_ Paul reacted so violently? He didn't seem like the type to be squeamish. Something about it just didn't feel right. Before she had the time to ask any more questions, they stopped in front of the sliding doors leading into her hotel room. Like the previous night, the room was dark, however Sophie and Bryana had opted to share a bed that night.

Catriona was grateful for that – her arm hurt like hell, she was woozy from the vodka and all she wanted to do was sprawl out in bed and be comfortable.

"I'll...see you guys tonight, right?" she winced, cracking the door open slightly.

"Damn right. Don't worry, we'll give pansy boy a tonne o' shit for ya," Marko gave her a crooked smile and then, to her surprise and flattery, the boy's pulled her in for a "macho" hug, one after the other "Catch ya later, Cat."

"You'll wanna go to the walk in centre in the morning, for the arm," was Dwayne's goodbye to her.

Catriona gave a small, tired nod and then the boys were gone. She slipped inside the hotel room and groaned. It had been such a perfect night up until then. Part of her was hurt over the ordeal – her arm had been slashed open and he'd taken off without a glance back in her direction. She sighed and shimmied off her jeans before falling into the bed, making sure to keep any weight off of her injured arm. She was probably being ridiculous.

* * *

Paul winced when Marko and Dwayne returned to the cave, just over twenty minutes after he and David had gotten back.

"She okay?"

"Arm was sliced up real bad. I cleaned it and wrapped it up. She's probably asleep by now," Dwayne offered, somewhat comfortingly.

"Real confused about why her ass of a boyfriend skipped out on her when she was hurt, though," Marko chimed in, somewhat less helpfully.

"I vamped out, all right," Paul snapped, choosing to ignore Marko's use of the word 'boyfriend' "Fuckin' smelled the blood...and she was right under me..."

"No need for the gory details," David snorted "But y'know this wouldn't be a problem if we'd just made her drink last night. You could've killed her tonight. Shit, for half a second, I thought you had."

Wordlessly, Paul sprang up from where he was sitting and strode off to go to sleep.

"Every damn time we bring a chick here, we get nothin' but fucking drama," David sighed in exasperation, mostly to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another short one. Originally this was going to be half of a chapter, but my exams are fast approaching and so writing needs to be sidelined whilst I study, so this might be my last update until around Wednesday, which is my first break between exams, depending on how my studying goes and how much I get done. Thank you all so so so much for the reviews – they really do give me confidence in my own writing.**

* * *

Catriona awoke a little before nine AM, aching. Forgetting the events of the previous night, she rolled over and then gave a yelp when she put her weight on her hurt arm.

"Ah, shit," she groaned, sitting up and glancing towards the other bed – Sophie and Bryana were still fast asleep, one of them snoring quietly.

She soon regretted sitting up, as a wave of nausea hit her and she made it to the bathroom just in time for the previous night's vodka to come back up. That was followed by ten minutes sitting awkardly on the bathroom floor, waiting for her head to clear. Surprisingly, after that Catriona felt better – except for the aching in her limbs. With great difficulty, she slowly stripped to her underwear, wincing every time pain shot down her cut arm.

"Ah, _shit_ ," she groaned for the second time that morning.

Her thighs, butt and back were all bruised in weird patterns where the coaster tracks had dug into her skin. She could even see bruises peeking out of the edge of the make-shift bandana bandage. No doubt Bryana would accuse Paul of beating her. Quietly, she changed into a loose-fitting plain black dress that ended just above her knees and slipped a pair of flip flops on before cleaning her face and trying to make her hair look presentable. She'd have to hunt down the walk-in clinic by herself. Slipping her sunglasses on, she headed out the door.

The teenager at the front desk in reception was more hungover Catriona, and less than helpful, so she decided to try her luck out on the boardwalk. There were a tonne of shops and cafes open along there, _somebody_ would help her out. Her odd appearance attracted a few glares from the elderly cafe owners – probably assuming she was homeless – so she paced along the boardwalk until she got to a small comic shop. She'd worked in a comic shop back home for a time, so she decided to try her luck – despite a few misogynistic assholes, her colleagues had usually been nice.

Van Halen was playing quietly in the background and she smiled. The owners must have been her kind of people. The front desk was empty, but then again so was the shop, so she hung around awkwardly, waiting for some kind of owner to appear.

She jumped when she heard a voice behind her.

"Can I help you?" it sounded like helping her was the last thing he wanted to do.

She spun around and saw a man a year or two younger than her, a box of comics under his arm.

"Hi, um, do you work here?" she moved her sunglasses to sit on top of her head.

"I own the place. Me and my brother."

"Great," she nodded "Do you know if there's like, a walk in centre anywhere around here?"

He eyed her arm for a moment and then scowled at her.

"You get bitten?"

"What?! No!" what the hell was wrong with this guy?! "I fell and sliced my arm open."

"I've seen you with the Lost Boys," he said simply, dumping the box of comics on the front desk, as though that explained his odd question.

Was that what this was about? Was he one of the "Surf Nazis" she'd heard the boys make fun of?

"Look, man," Catriona sighed "I really don't care about whatever gang politics is going on here. I just need a doctor to look at my arm."

"You're honestly telling me you never noticed anything weird about your boyfriend?"

She wanted to punch him right on his stupid bandana'd forehead.

"Look, kid," perhaps not a fair nickname considering he looked only a little younger than her and was definitely not a kid.

"Edgar," he corrected, unamused.

" _Kid_ ," she persisted "I'm hungover, I'm in pain, my throat is drier than the sahara desert and I just need an address for the walk-in centre and maybe even a number for a taxi. Whatever beef is between you and the Lost Boys...is between you and the Lost Boys."

He gave her what she was sure was meant to be an intimidating glare for another few moments before he sighed and marched towards the back room. Just as she was beginning to wonder if he was actually coming back, he returned, this time with another, even more serious looking, kid in tow. She assumed this was the brother he'd mentioned.

In one hand, he held out a slip of paper with an address scribbled on it and underneath were two phone numbers. In the other hand was a glass of water. Catriona sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for her earlier outburst.

"For the throat," he said grudgingly, practically shoving the water into her hands.

They both watched intently as she drank from the glass and shared a look of relief when she was done. Catriona frowned but said nothing. She accepted the slip of paper next, frowning when she saw two phone numbers written on the slip of paper.

"The bottom one is ours," the second one spoke up for the first time "For when you realise something's wrong with _them_."

"...Yeah, sure, thanks," she snorted, shaking her head.

"You wanna use our phone?"

Not wanting to be subjected to more anti-Lost Boy propaganda, Catriona shook her head "No, that's fine, I'll find a phone box."

"Don't say we didn't warn you!" she heard Edgar call out behind her.

What was with this town?!

* * *

Two hours later she was back at the hotel room, arm bandaged, and greeted by her friends who were very awake and very annoyed.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Sophie was wide-eyed as she inspected Catriona.

"Paul crashed his bike last night," she lied easily – she'd come up with that one on the way to the walk-in centre "Sliced my arm open. Backs of my legs are a lovely shade of blue, too."

"But how are you only just back now?!"

Even Bryana, who was doing her best not to look at Catriona, was doing a poor job of hiding her curiosity.

"What do you mean? Dwayne bandaged it for me last night, I came back, grabbed a few hours of sleep and then left this morning to get it looked at properly," she shrugged, easing down onto the bed with a wince.

"...Was Paul hurt?" Bryana's voice was strangely sly.

"...No," she frowned, having to think on her feet "He knows how to like, land properly and shit..."

Part of her wanted to tell her friends the truth about what had happened, but she didn't doubt that if she annoyed Bryana enough, Bryana would go to the security guard that milled around the boardwalk from time to time and try and get her kicked off or banned.

"So...He crashed his bike...left it up to his friend to patch you up...and didn't even bother taking you to a doctor? What, he had somewhere to go?"

"I told him I was fine and just to go home," she shrugged "He wanted to take me to get it checked out but I didn't want to make a fuss. Anyway, I'm fine, see?"

Another lie. When she realised how much she had to lie about the situation to make it sound reasonable, she realised just how unreasonable the situation had been. With a sigh, she grabbed one of the books she had brought along to read for university – The Great Gatsby – and began to read, ignoring any further questions.

* * *

 **A/N: In case I didn't make it obvious enough, the Frog brothers gave Catriona holy water to drink, ha. I couldn't resist adding them into the story – they're not going to play a huge roll though, unless my plans for the story change. I hope you all enjoyed this, despite the shortness.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Not much happens in this chapter, but I think it's quite cute. I tried to post a link to my tumblr account on my profile, but for some reason I don't think it's working. My name on tumblr is liisi-laukkanen :) feel free to follow me, I love chatting to people and I'll make posts concerning when updates are going to be etc. My exams are currently 3/4 over and going well! Hopefully soon I'll be able to put all of my energy into writing rather than studying, and then the chapters will be longer. As always, thank you all so much for the kind reviews – I tend to post updates before I go to bed, so waking up to lovely reviews always makes my day.**

* * *

Catriona was trying to tidy up the room somewhat when there was a knock against the glass doors.

They'd drawn the curtains whilst they changed – they had habits of wandering around only half dressed when they had sleepovers, and this habit had extended to their holiday, despite their arguments. As if to prove this, Catriona hadn't yet bothered to put on her jeans and was wandering around in only a baggy Led Zeppelin t-shirt and plain black underwear. Partly, it was to bother Bryana. She knew the sight of the dark purple bruises on the backs of her legs were making her friend itch with curiosity, and paired with the fact that Catriona refused to give any in-depth answers about them, other than what she'd already told them.

The other half of the reason she was only half dressed was that her legs _hurt_. Finding a way to sit down had been a challenge, as the bruises throbbed whenever she put any pressure on them. Even the sight of her tight black skinny jeans had made her want to cry. So Catriona had decided the only reasonable solution was to down some aspirin and declare no pants zone until she felt better.

"Who's that?" she felt stupid asking the question, considering the curtains were shut and none of them could see who was at the doors.

"That'll be for us," Bryana sniffed, grabbing her clutch and standing up.

"Cool," Catriona nodded, picking up some dirty clothes and throwing them into a plastic bag.

She'd learned long ago that the best way to deal with Bryana was to act uninterested. It infuriated her. That night there wasn't even much acting involved. Catriona was tired, and she was homesick. It was New Year's Eve and she wasn't at home with her brother. It was already the new year back home, and she'd missed it in favour of spending two weeks in a foreign place with two people she didn't even particularly like. If she were home, she'd be drunk and dancing around the living room to bad songs like a fool with her brother.

"They said they'd pick us up at six," Bryana continued, trying to coax Catriona into being curious.

"We met some guys last night," Sophie offered in a way of explanation to Catriona, earning a glare from Bryana.

Clearly Catriona was meant to beg for that information.

"Well...have fun?" Catriona shrugged, moving towards the one mirror in the room to make an attempt at tidying up her makeup scattered there, putting her back to the other two.

"We will!" Bryana hmph-ed.

Catriona let out an audible sigh of relief when they were gone and immediately crawled back into the bed, basking in the time alone.

* * *

Three hours later, Catriona was still contemplating whether she even wanted to leave the hotel room that night. She was tired, she was aching and three nights in a row of drinking and smoking weed had drained her. All she wanted was to be in Scotland, in her brother's shitty apartment, getting drunk and making fun of the cheap entertainment on TV.

She was pulled out of her moping by a knock on the glass doors. With a sigh, she hauled herself out of the bed, assuming it would either be more Surf Nazis looking for Bryana and Sophie, or Bryana and Sophie themselves, having forgotten something. She was wrong.

She blinked in surprise as Paul stood in the doorway, looking uncharacteristically awkward and unsure of himself.

"...Hi," she spoke, after a few moments of awkward silence "Um...Do you want to come in?"

"You're inviting me in?"

She frowned at the odd question "Yeah, you're invited."

He only spoke again once they were both in the room, the doors firmly closed behind him.

"Oh, shit."

Her eyes widened at the exclamation, and then she remembered her lack of pants.

"Ha, yeah," she murmured, cheeks heating up – not at her lack of pants, she exposed more at the beach after all – but at his reaction "Got bruised up real good last night."

"I am... _so_ sorry."

Paul's strange attitude was setting Catriona on edge, and she slowly lowered herself back down onto the bed, wincing as her own body weight pushed down on the bruises.

"You slipped, Paul, it wasn't your fault," she frowned, tilting her head to the side "We were baked...You can't handle blood...There's nothing to be sorry for."

"Wait," he frowned, moving to sit cross-legged on the other bed, facing Catriona and ignoring the dirt that got onto the sheets from his boots.

Catriona fought back a snicker at that – Bryana wouldn't be amused.

"So you're not mad?" he was eyeing her suspiciously, as though she was playing one big practical joke on him.

What could she say? 'I was sad because you didn't stick around to kiss my boo-boo better'? It sounded so pathetic when she thought about it rationally. Catriona shook her head.

"Of course not. I'm a big girl. Dwayne bandaged my arm. I survived."

"So why weren't you at the boardwalk?"

The confusion on Paul's face was oddly adorable and she had to fight back the urge to get up and hug him.

"Wait, you thought I wasn't there because I was angry about last night?" she couldn't help but laugh.

"Well...yeah," he admitted sheepishly, shrugging "So what's up? Why weren't you there?"

"Crap, I'm sorry," she bit her lip "You were looking for me?"

"At first yeah, but we found your, uh, _friends_ , instead. The smaller one told us you were here. Bigger one just kept tryin' to make eyes at David – ha! I told the guys to go on without me and I'd come get you," he ruffled his hand through his hair "You're dodgin' the question, though."

"It sounds stupid when I say it out loud," she groaned.

"Nah, you got a smart accent," he teased, attitude brightening as he moved to join her on her bed.

"Ah!" she held a hand out to stop him "No boots on my bed. That shit's fine on her bed, but I actually have to sleep in this one."

He rolled his eyes good naturedly and kicked off his boots before shrugging off his jacket.

"Make yourself comfortable," she teased quietly, doing her best not to admire him too openly.

"Hey, you're the one who declared no pants zone," he retorted "I mean – I can take my pants off too if you wa-"

"I think I'll live if you keep them on," she shook her head with a laugh.

"You're killing me here, babe. Spill."

Catriona gave a groan. She hated talking to people about emotional crap – unless she was drunk or high – it made her uncomfortable. She shifted slightly and then sighed.

"I'm just...I dunno. I'm sad, okay?" she refused to meet his gaze, feeling like a stroppy teenager.

"You're...sad?" Paul repeated her words, brow furrowing "Why?"

"I'm just homesick," she shrugged "I feel ill after three nights in of partying because I'm a lightweight, my ass is sore from last night – don't make a dirty joke out of that – and I'm feeling sorry for myself because I missed New Year's Eve with my brother for...well... _this_."

"I thought you were having fun?" she could hear the hurt in his voice and still kept her eyes on her blanket-covered legs.

"I am, I am," she quickly backtracked "But only with you guys. The second I get back here and, well, just whenever I'm around my so-called friends, all it is is pure hostility. I'm not built for that kind of shit. I'm not in high school any more. I just can't stand having them up my ass every five minutes over you!"

"...That why your ass is sore?"

She gave a laugh, despite herself.

"C'mon," he shifted from the bed to stand "Up."

"No, you've misunderstood," she mumbled, lying down and rolling over "I'm going to lie here and self pity for at least the next twenty four hours."

"Nuh-uh. You're gonna get that hot ass out of bed, put some pants on and we're gonna get a burger."

"I'm a vegetarian."

"Okay so we're gonna get some vegetables."

"...You've been dying to compliment my ass since you got here, haven't you?"

"Yup. Now get outta bed so I can see it again."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: No offence is intended towards any Christians or anybody with the beliefs mentioned in this chapter! As always, thank you so much for reviewing, following, favouriting etc.**

* * *

Catriona had been stunned when she'd asked Paul where the rest of the Lost Boys were and he'd shrugged and told her that they weren't included in his plans for the night.

"They're basically your family!" her eyes were wide "You can't not spend New Year's Eve with them!"

"Eh, you've seen one, you've seen 'em all," he shrugged "We don't make a big deal outta holidays. Just another night."

She had to stifle a laugh at the mental image of the Lost Boys decorating a Christmas tree in the cave or dressing up for Halloween. It certainly was an odd picture, and she couldn't imagine them realistically sharing gifts and singing Christmas carols.

"That's sad," she sighed, shaking her head with a small smile.

"It's _sad_?" he snickered.

"You haven't got a New Year's Eve tradition!" she protested as though it were obvious "How can you live life without listening to awful songs and getting hammered and celebrating yet another mundane year full of work and bills?"

"Well shit, when you put it like _that_."

"I'm glad you finally saw reason," she grinned, ignoring his sarcastic tone.

"So how about this," he seized her hand and intertwined their fingers and Catriona did her best to ignore the tingles that spread up her arm "You ain't got your tradition tonight...and I never had one. We create a _new_ New Year's Eve tradition. Just us."

"Just us?" she asked, one eyebrow quirking upwards.

"Just us," he confirmed.

"Are you asking me on a date, sir?" she grinned.

"What would you say if I was?"

"Well I know what my boyfriend would say," she sighed and then struggled to hold back her laughter at the look of pure alarm on Paul's face as he stopped walking and stared at her, wide-eyed "I'm joking! No boyfriend. What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"The kind that gives me heart attacks," he muttered, letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist.

His reaction had stunned her and sent her mind racing. Surely, if he'd reacted that strongly to the idea of her having a boyfriend, he had to be taking whatever it was between them somewhat seriously? If he considered her to just be some kind of entertainment for two weeks, he wouldn't have cared. Catriona held back her questions with great difficulty. She didn't want to risk making anything awkward. The only solution she could think of was to act how she would if she were never to leave Santa Carla. She'd never truly enjoy herself if the main thought in her head every day was how many days she had left. She'd cross each bridge as she got to it.

"C'mon babe, I'm givin' ya the full Santa Carla experience tonight," he announced, apparently recovered from the shock.

"Sounds dirty," she joked.

"Well if _that's_ the one you want," he teased, squeezing her side.

"Paul!" she mocked outrage "We're not married!"

"Nuh-uh, you had me believing the boyfriend thing, but fool me once."

"Who says I'm fooling?" she frowned at him, doing her best to look offended.

"You...You really don't believe in sex before marriage?" he was staring at her like she was an alien.

"Well," she gave a great sigh and shook her head as though disappointed "Paul. The Bible says-"

He was becoming more and more wide-eyed with each word, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly and she burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry," she snickered, unable to hold a serious expression any longer "I'm fucking with you."

"Well at least you've cheered up," he snorted, pulling her closer "'cept I knew you were too wild to be a Christian."

"And too tame to be a Lost Boy," she mock-sighed "What ever will I do with my life, stuck in this purgatory?"

"Who says you're too tame, huh?"

"The fact that I've dragged you away from an evening of debauchery," she wriggled her eyebrows.

"Debauchery?" he repeated the word.

Catriona shot a pointed look towards his crotch with a giggle.

"Hey, the night is young," he grinned, lagging a bit behind so he could walk behind her now, teeth nipping at her neck.

"Oh? Are you going to find another girl?" she gave him a wolfish grin to rival his own.

"Would I need to?"

The question suddenly killed the joking tone, all due to Paul's oddly hesitant tone. Was that him trying to broach a serious conversation? Or was that all he really wanted from her? Was this his way of asking when she'd just sleep with him already? Catriona felt a ball of anxiety begin to build in her chest.

"Is that what..." she gave a sigh and stopped walking, spinning to face him "Is that _all_ you want?"

"No!" he responded quickly, wincing "I just...Uh...We're gonna need to like, talk, aren't we?"

"I've only known you for four days Paul, including today."

"But what if you hadn't?"

"I'm leaving in ten days!"

"But what if you weren't? Don't factor time into it. Time ain't nothin'."

"But it does matter," she groaned "I don't know what _this_ is to you...and if I don't know what it is to you, I don't know what it is to me!"

"What do you mean?" he frowned "What do you think this is to me?"

Catriona sighed and avoided his gaze. She didn't want to risk thinking he was taking any of it seriously. If she acted like he did and he wasn't, she'd be mortified.

"Is it...Like...I dunno...A fling? Is this just what you do?" she bit her lip "A friends with benefits type deal? Casual?"

"What, so you don't think I like you?" he seemed shocked.

"I know you like me! I just don't know if you like me in a 'wow, look at that ass! We're gonna have some meaningless fun!' or if you like me in a...deeper way, I guess," her cheeks were burning at this point, failing to lighten the situation by mimicking his accent.

"You've really been worrying about this, haven't you?" he gave a soft, not unkind, laugh.

"One of us has to," she murmured defensively "You don't seem to worry about anything."

"Well, we balance each other out. See? Great couple," he took a step forward and smiled down at her.

"Couple?" she echoed.

He gave an amused laugh and shook his head, scratching the back of his neck before heaving a sigh. She watched him, unsure as he coughed as though readying for a speech before placing his hands on her hips.

"Catriona Mackenzie, babe, will you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?" and before she could respond he continued "And if your answer is more excuses about time, I will throw you right into the ocean. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, yeah?"

"I'll consider it," she teased, trying her best to ignore the butterflies erupting in her abdomen "But you know, I have had a bunch of offers in the last few day-"

He cut her off by kissing her and she couldn't help but laugh into the kiss.

"Yes," she murmured when he pulled away, causing him to grin and kiss her again "Now please don't throw me in the ocean."

"I'll try my best not to," he chuckled, grin still plastered to his face as they continued walking down the boardwalk "It'd be a shit way to start our very own New Year's Eve tradition."

He stood still for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face before he slowly shrugged off his jacket.

"I'm gonna let you borrow this, and you're gonna make me a promise," his tone was light as he draped the jacket around her, which was still warm from his body heat.

"What promise is this?"

"Stop thinking about shit and just start doing what feels right."

"Starting now?"

"Starting _now_."

And so Catriona kissed him again.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: We've reached double digits, as far as chapters are concerned, woo! My exams are over and they went well! So now I have more time to write. Subsequently, this chapter is slightly longer than the rest. I hope you guys like it and thank you all so much for the reviews, as always x**

* * *

 _With The Lost Boys_

"Hey, where's Paul?" Marko questioned, looking up and down the Boardwalk.

"With his girl, probably," David shrugged "He'll be needing to do some damage control after last night."

"I like her," Marko announced and Dwayne mumbled in agreement before they both turned to David, failing to hide their curiosity.

"If I didn't, she wouldn't be alive," he shrugged "Doesn't mean I'm looking forward to the shitstorm that's gonna down if this ain't done right."

"I dunno what he's thinking," Dwayne sighed in agreement – one of the perks of being a vampire was the very little drama it entailed, and he didn't want that changing.

"I know what he's thinking _with_ ," Marko snorted and they all laughed.

"Well, I hope it's worth it for him," David shrugged in a tone that made it clear he thought it wouldn't be "'cause their relationship's gonna go real rocky real fast when he finally does it...Even if time runs out and he chooses the easy way, he ain't giving her much time."

"How about a bet?" Marko suggested "I say she'll be one of us by the...What is it tonight? The thirty-first?"

"New Year's Eve, yeah," Dwayne snorted and Marko rolled his eyes – what kind of immortal kept track of the date?

"Okay, so I say she'll be one of us by tomorrow night. Latest."

"What?" David snickered "We talkin' about the same girl, here?"

"He's alone with her now, ain't he?" Marko protested.

"I say the eighth," David shrugged.

"When does she leave?" Dwayne asked thoughtfully, trying to calculate what date he was going to go for.

"Eleventh."

"You think he'll only give her three nights?" Marko's eyebrows rose.

"If he keeps being an ass and insisting on doing it the other way, yeah."

"I say fourth," Dwayne announced confidently "Half way through her time here."

"What we betting?" David questioned, smirking now.

"First pick when we feed for a week." Marko suggested.

"One rule," David cut in "No interfering. Even if it looks like it's gonna happen earlier than when you bet. Remember the real goal here."

"What about offering, uh, encouragement?" Marko asked.

"Nuh-uh. She's too skittish. Might scare her off. No interfering, period," David shook his head.

"Deal," the other two nodded, happy to have found a new form of entertainment.

"But, uh, I gotta say," Marko continued smugly, before gesturing towards the beach "My odds are looking real good right now."

David and Dwayne looked to where Marko had pointed to see the two people their entire conversation had been concerned with, lips locked, hands all over each other and Cat wearing Paul's jacket. Marko gave a smug laugh, Dwayne shook his head and David quirked an eyebrow in surprise. He'd been convinced she'd be mad for at least three days. Maybe he'd been underestimating his brother...or his soon-to-be sister.

* * *

Paul, it seemed, was very creative when it came to ideas for their new tradition. He got them ice cream – despite his lack of a job, he didn't seem to have many money issues – won her a stuffed animal on one of the cheesy carnival games, they went on a ride at such a breakneck speed that Catriona spent most of it with her eyes closed, and when it was nearing midnight, he was dragging her towards the Giant Dipper.

"I don't know if you remember last night, but it didn't end well," she gave a nervous laugh as he led her towards the ride.

"Nah, today we're gonna go on the normal way," he chuckled, glancing to the clock fixed on the wall behind the bored looking employee, and then to the line "C'mon."

Ignoring the queue, he swaggered to the front and guided her into the front two seats of the cart waiting to leave. Catriona was stunned that nobody said anything to them for cutting in front, but didn't miss the wary looks they received from some.

"Perks of being a Lost Boy," Paul gave a crooked grin in response to her curiosity.

"How anybody is scared of you, I don't know," she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

"My roguish good looks and dangerous personality, obviously!" he made a great show of pretending to be offended.

"Of course, of course," she shook her head with a smile "Speaking of which, have you got some kind of feud going on with the guys who run the comic book shop?"

She jumped slightly as the ride shuddered to a start and they began their slow ascent.

"What, Rambo junior and chuckles? Ha!" he sniggered "They were, uh, pestering to join us a few years ago. Couldn't stand being told no, so now they go around saying crazy shit about us."

Catriona nodded with a slight frown. That would explain their weird behaviour, but it wasn't the explanation she was expecting – although she wasn't sure what explanation she _had_ been expecting.

"I didn't realise it was an elite club," she joked "Now I feel special."

"If you didn't feel special before, I've been doing a shit job."

She gave a soft laugh and gazed up at the sky as the car continued to ascend. Below them she began to hear a countdown being shouted, starting with ten.

"Babe?" Paul's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Yeah," she nodded, feeling her adrenaline begin to pick up as the car rose higher and higher.

"Kiss me."

"Now?!" she laughed "I don't think now's the time!"

"Now!" he insisted.

She turned her head and at that moment a lot happened at once. Her lips met his, they began the drop, there was a bright flash of light and the boardwalk began to cheer as it hit midnight. The feeling was indescribable, and Catriona barely registered what was going on until the sensation of pure weightlessness came to an end and the roller coaster shot forward horizontally.

"Holy shit," she breathed in amazement, wide-eyed, heart hammering in her chest.

"Happy new year," he gave her one of his wide grins and Catriona didn't even bother to try and hold back her own.

* * *

"How the hell did you manage to time all of that?" Catriona asked in disbelief as they dropped by the hotel room so she could drop off her stuff – not that she had much, a photograph and a cheesy teddybear, but she didn't want carry them around all night.

It turned out that the bright flash of light had been a camera attached to the roller coaster – as they'd kissed, it had hit midnight and the moment had been captured in a photograph, one that she'd _had_ to buy on their way off of the ride, not just because it had been an unbelievable moment, but because she was growing very smug about how good she and Paul looked together.

"Pure skill," he gave her a smug smile.

"I'm sure," she laughed as they walked up the steps to the boardwalk "And luck had nothing to do with it?"

"Luck's just preparation meetin' opportunity."

"That'd seem a lot wiser if I hadn't heard David saying it the other night."

His only response was a slap to her ass, causing Catriona to yelp and then blush "You asshole!"

"Yeah! Talk dirty to me!" he teased and she gave a snort of laughter, shaking her head "C'mon, the band playing tonight is actually good."

He led her over to the part of the boardwalk that'd been set up for bands to play at, where a bored looking security guard who couldn't have been any older than sixteen didn't even bother to ask them if they had tickets.

"Dwayne stole the singer's wallet last time they were here," Paul snorted, gesturing to the man with an obnoxiously bright blue mohawk "He's an asshole. Can sing real good, though. There was enough weed in there to last us all two weeks, so I guess we owe him thanks for that."

"Giving away all our secrets, Paul?"

Catriona jumped when David's voice sounded from behind them, and then blushed at the amusement of the boys.

"How's the arm?" Dwayne questioned and Paul looked away uncomfortably, clearly not happy with the direction of the conversation.

"You were right – didn't need stitches," she nodded "It's a bit sore, might scar, but I _should_ live, if all goes well. Thanks for helping me, by the way."

"So what do you guys think – we go for it again?" Paul cut in before Dwayne could respond, earning an amused look from his brother.

"Go for what again?" David asked, taking the cigarette from behind his ear and lighting it.

"The wallet! C'mon, that last shit was _good_ ," Paul grinned, slinging an arm around Catriona's shoulders.

"Worth a shot," Marko shrugged in agreement and Dwayne nodded.

David was the only one who hadn't spoken up yet, a thoughtful look on his face, and when he did, Catriona's heart sank.

"Cat should do it," his tone was light, verging on friendly as he eyed her to gauge her reaction, as Marko and Dwayne smirked and Paul cringed.

"C'mon, man, I'll do it," Paul offered "She doesn't do this shit."

"Hey, nobody's forcing her to do anything," David shrugged "Just a suggestion."

Catriona held back a sigh. She knew she didn't really _have_ to. She could say no, somebody else would snatch the wallet and they'd head back to the cave and party, no harm done...but she knew David's opinion of her would lower, and although she'd spend relatively little time with the Lost Boys, she knew that David's opinion meant a hell of a lot with them. If she tried, she knew she'd surprise, and maybe even impress, them – even if she failed. Whilst the boys were right in their assumption that she was sheltered, they didn't know that her brother wasn't.

Being ten years older than Catriona, Jamie was a typical protective older brother, but seeing as he lived in Scotland and she lived in London, he couldn't be there to protect her himself. That was why he taught her a few tricks, for peace of mind if nothing else. He'd begun when she was around fifteen, teaching her mostly minor things – how to punch properly, how to use somebody else's weight against them if they attacked her, what to do if somebody tried to rob her. Over time this extended to new things, which he jokingly referred to as "survival skills". One of those 'skills' happened to be how to pickpocket, just in case she ever ended up in a sticky situation with no cash on her. Catriona had never tried it before, except for when she'd been practising with Jamie, but she still remembered most of what he'd told her.

"I'll go-," Paul began but Catriona cut in.

"I'll do it," she announced and all four of the Lost Boys turned to look at her, stunned.

"Babe, you don't have to," Paul frowned, clearly confused by her response.

"I know," she shrugged "But I've got a better chance, right? I'll use my _feminine wiles_."

Her joking tone towards the end seemed to amuse David, but not as much as the fact that she'd accepted the challenge.

"They'll play a couple more songs, when they finish they'll come mingle with the rabble," David offered and Catriona nodded, plan formulating.

Shrugging off Paul's jacket, she handed it to him and then tied the hem of her t-shirt so that her abdomen was exposed.

"Should I be worried here, babe?" Paul teased, a mix of amusement and surprise on his face.

"Maybe," she joked, ruffling her hair to try to give it some _oomph_ before seizing the bottle of vodka Marko held and took a gulp.

"Liquid courage?" David asked in his usual mocking tone.

"So he thinks I'm drunk," she countered, wincing at the taste before taking another gulp and handing it back to Marko "Rockstars are sleazy assholes who love nothing more than an easy girl...and acting like they're better than others. It's what makes them so much fun."

She waited until they announced what would be their final song before she moved. Leaving the boys where they stood near the back of the crowd, she edged her way towards the stairs she assumed the band would descend and waited. As the end of the set drew near and the band began to thank the crowd and wish them a happy new year, Catriona's nerves began to kick in.

Knowing the boys would be watching her every move, she tried to hide her anxiety, shifting from one foot to the other and running a hand through her hair. After what felt like an eternity, the band left the state and soon the singer was inches away from her.

"Hey!" she gave a breathless, giggly greeting – more from nerves than anything else, but it was helping her look wasted "You're the singer of, uh..."

She chanced a glance towards the drum kit to see the band name and did her best not to laugh at it "Monday's Mutants, right?"

He gave her a quick once over before a sleazy smirk reached his lips and he nodded, gesturing for his friends to continue on without him "Sure am, baby."

"Oh my god! I'm such a huge fan!" she breathed, giving him a shy grin "I came here from England to see you guys play tonight, actually! Great way to spend New Year's Eve, right?"

"I can think of a better way," his tone was slimy and suggestive and it took all she had not to back away from him.

"Would you mind signing my shirt?" she asked, trying her best to look like she was filled with awe.

"Sure," he nodded, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a sharpie.

As he did this, she caught sight of a shabby looking leather wallet in the same pocket. Of course, when signing the shirt he went for her chest, making her even more uncomfortable.

"Thank you so much," she squinted down at the signature "Eric! Honestly, I can't believe I got to meet you!"

"Pleasure's all mine, doll," he leaned in closer and Catriona did her best to pretend she was enjoying it.

"Oooh, what does this mean?" she leant forward even more and ran her fingertips over the necklace he was wearing – an ankh – making sure to brush her fingers against his throat as she did.

Eric began to launch into a long, incorrect, explanation of the symbolism behind his necklace, but Catriona barely heard any of it, because as he was distracted by her touch to his chest, her other hand was reaching inside his jacket and grabbing his wallet.

"...I'm just a really spiritual guy, you know?"

"Yeah, of course, cool," she nodded, taking a step back after shoving the wallet in her jeans pocket.

"So, uh, we're having an after party back at our hotel – you wanna come along?" he leered down at her.

"Hey, babe!" she jumped at Paul's voice, and suddenly arms wrapped around her from behind "You met him!"

"I did!" she grinned and then gave a shriek as Paul began to place very deliberate kisses on the side of her neck.

Eric gave an unamused laugh and left without even saying goodbye.

"Territorial, are we?" she teased, dropping the drunk fangirl act.

"Damn right I am," he shot a glare at Eric's back and let go, taking her hand as they headed back to the boys "What a dick."

"Well," she shrugged, guiding his hand towards the lump in her jean pocket where the wallet sat "Let's find out if it was worth it."

"You got it?!" he seemed surprised.

"Of course I did! You thought I didn't?" she hoped her mock confidence was convincing "...Wait...You didn't come over to help me get away, did you?"

"'Course I did," he spoke too quickly to be believable.

"Somebody was _jealous_!" she sang the last word, trying not to be too pleased about his reaction.

"Pfft, like he can compete with me," Paul snorted, letting go of her hand to drape his jacket around her shoulders again.

"Waste of a good t-shirt though," she sighed mournfully at the name scrawled across the chest of it.

"You got it?" Marko questioned when they reached the boys and Catriona nodded, pulling the corner of the wallet out of her jeans only slightly as proof.

"Good job," David gave her a smirk, eyebrows raised in surprise "Looks like tonight's party's in Cat's honour, boys."

The rest cheered, Paul planted yet another sloppy kiss on her neck and Catriona found herself being very pleased she'd left the hotel that night.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Gàidhlig is Scottish Gaelic.**

* * *

Catriona stumbled into the hotel room, a small smile on her face, amazed at how much her mood had changed in the past twelve hours, all because of the Lost Boys...Well, one Lost Boy in particular. Kicking off her boots and padding towards the bed that Sophie slept on.

"Sophie," she whispered, shaking her shoulder "Soph. Can you move over, please?"

The blonde blinked up at her bleary eyed, before slowly sitting up and looking towards the bed where Bryana slept.

"C'mon," Catriona sighed – she was exhausted and all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep.

"She...She told me not to," Sophie whispered back.

Catriona stared at Sophie, speechless "Are you serious right now? What, you want me to sleep on the floor?"

Sophie eyed her...and then Bryana...and then sighed and shifted to the side, allowing room for Catriona in the bed.

Catriona took a step back with a laugh, sliding her feet back into her boots.

"Kit Kat," Sophie sighed.

Catriona laughed humourlessly, grabbing her backpack.

"What are you doing?"

Ignoring her, Catriona grabbed whatever she thought she might need before throwing it into the backpack – cash, a walkman, a book, a bikini, a change of clothes.

Sophie groaned "Come on, get into bed. I'm sorry."

"Sure you are," Catriona muttered, slinging the backpack onto her shoulder.

"Please, Cat!" Sophie did sound genuinely sorry, but as far as Catriona was concerned, it was too late – she was angry, embarrassed and more hurt than she wanted to admit.

"Fuck you," she hissed, slamming the door behind her and storming from the hotel.

* * *

 _That Night_

"Hello?"

"Hey Jamie," Catriona was immediately soothed by her older brother's voice "Happy new year."

"Cat! Happy new year! What's California like? Hot?"

"Compared to home, yeah," she nodded despite the fact that he couldn't see her.

"You having fun?" nothing got by Jamie, and evidently he already could tell something was up.

"That's a complicated question," she gave a nervous laugh.

"Catriona, what's wrong?"

"You know how much you love being right?"

"Aye, well, I don't love it, I just always am."

"Well, in any case, you were right."

"Of course. Now what was I right about? The part where I told you you'd get sunburn, or the part where I told you that your friends are utter rockets?"

"Um," she glanced down at her arms, now pink from spending the day hanging around the boardwalk "Both."

"So the holiday's a bust, then?"

"I love Santa Carla," she admitted "I've actually been having a good time – I even made friends. Bryana and Sophie are just, well, ruining it."

"Look, if you need a flight home I'll pay for it," he spoke sincerely and then added on "I have a pile of cash spare since I didn't need to pay for your drink last night."

" _Pòg mo thòin,_ " she snorted – it was one of the few Gàidhlig phrases she'd picked up from her mum, and she often put it to good use around her brother.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Seriously though, do you want me to put money in your account for a plane ticket back? Or should I phone mum?"

"Neither!" Catriona shook her head "Especially not the mum part. I don't want to leave, remember the friends I told you about? It's just...I-"

There was a bang on the phonebox door and she turned her head slightly and then let out a shriek of fright. There stood Paul, his face pressed against the glass of the booth, pulling one of the weirdest faces she'd ever seen. At her shriek he stepped away from the glass and folded in two with laughter.

"Cat? Catriona?" Jamie's voice was concerned.

"I'm fine," she giggled "I'm fine. That was one of my friends."

She knew she'd need to wrap it up, lest Jamie hear Paul speak and figure out that her new friends weren't exactly female.

"Look, I need to go, erm, I'll call you later, yeah? I'll work it out."

"All right," he spoke reluctantly "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, bye," she hung up and slung her backpack onto her shoulder again before leaving the booth.

Paul was still chuckling at his own joke, but the laughter died off when he got a good look at her.

"Shit, you look-"

"Awful, I know," she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Not awful!" he protested "Just...less hot than usual."

"Smooth," she gave a small smile before speaking reluctantly "You...don't happen to have that wallet I lifted last night?"

"Nah, back at the cave where you left it. Why? I got weed if you-"

"Not the weed," she shook her head "The money. There was like, a bundle of cash in there, right?"

"Yeah sure, it's yours, but why do you need it?"

"I have nowhere to stay," she admitted softly, biting her lip.

"What?! They kicked you out?"

"They wanted me to sleep on the floor," she snorted "So they may as well have. Bryana and her fucking demented little power plays. I'll have to book another room at the hotel."

"Like hell you are!" he snorted "You can stay at the cave."

"Paul," she groaned "I don't want to intrude."

" _Intrude_ ," he scoffed "You're one of us!"

"Am I?" she asked sceptically – sure the guys had been welcoming (and Paul exceedingly so) but there was still an odd atmosphere of 'we know something you don't know' at times.

She obviously couldn't blame them for this. It was clear that they'd been friends for a long time, and the camaraderie between them was something amazing to witness, but she couldn't work out why she'd been accepted into the fold so quickly. Catriona couldn't shake the nagging sensation in the back of her mind that soon there'd be a catch, and it would be a big one.

"You're on your way," he shrugged cryptically "I mean, were you not here last night, babe?"

"Look," she sighed "At least ask the guys first? Just because you're good with it doesn't mean they would be."

"You need to stop underestimating how much they like you," he chuckled softly, pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm just...tired," she sighed into his chest.

"C'mon," he slowly dropped his arms to his sides "Even if you won't stay there, you can nap at the cave."

"I don't know," she sighed, biting her lip.

"The guys aren't there," he pushed and then quickly backtracked at the amused look she gave him "Not that we'll be doing anything that we couldn't do around the guys."

Catriona kept the amused, yet slightly offended, look on her face, just to see how much deeper Paul would dig himself into the hole – it was especially amusing considering his usual laid-back demeanour.

"I mean, not that I don't want to! I do!" his frustration grew visibly when she continued her wordless offended act "But like, that ain't all I'm thinking about, yeah?"

Finally, Catriona gave a laugh "You're a dork."

"An' you're an asshole," he quickly realised she'd been playing him, pulling her closer and planting a kiss on her lips.

"I thought you were the asshole in this relationship?" she teased, gazing up at him.

"We both are. A pair of assholes against the world," he snickered at his own words.

"Such romantic imagery," she grinned and then hesitated.

"C'moooon," he dragged out the word "It'll be fun. Like a sleepover."

"A sleepover? Are you going to paint my nails?"

"Only if you ask real nice."

Catriona looked away, towards the ocean and bit her lip again. She was tired. She'd been awake for over twenty four hours, which normally wouldn't have affected her too dramatically after pulling many all-nighters to get last minute university work done, but considering she'd spent the latter half of the previous night drinking and getting stoned with no sleep to help her recover from it, she felt drained. Her eyes were burning, she was cold and, to put it bluntly, she felt like shit. The idea of curling up on one of the sofas in the Lost Cave was all too tempting.

"A nap," she nodded eventually "And that's it! No pestering the guys to let me move in."

"Not yet," he teased and Catriona rolled her eyes, knowing that she probably hadn't heard the last of that conversation.

* * *

The cave felt odd without everybody else being there. Not bad, just different. Quiet. Bigger. Catriona was dragged from her thoughts by Paul's voice.

"C'mon, I'll move the mattress," he helped her down the slope.

"You want me to help?" she asked, slipping off her backpack.

"Nah, babe, just light the fires."

She watched in amazement as he lifted up the double mattress with no difficulty. When the cave wasn't illuminated by the warm glow of the fires, he gave her a confused look but then laughed when he saw that he was the focus of her attention.

"Just one o' my many talents," he teased, wriggling his eyebrows.

"I'm sure," she gave a surprised laugh before shaking her head and making her way towards the torch on the wall.

Soon the cave was no longer in darkness, except for the alcove off to the corner where Paul had placed the mattress.

"See, we could pin like, blankets and curtains and shit up round here so you have privacy – and so no sunlight gets in," he gestured around the small entrance to the area.

"Sunlight doesn't stop me sleeping," she shrugged "What, are you one of those people where it has to be pitch black for you to sleep?"

Paul's face changed, only for a millisecond, but Catriona noticed and frowned. For that split second, he looked nervous. But why?

"Nah, uh, sunlight gives me these wicked headaches," he winced slightly, as if even the thought of it was paining him "Can't deal with it."

"So that's why I never see you during the day!" she exclaimed "So what, are the others the same? You're like some weird little cult?"

Paul gave a bark of laughter, sauntering past her to grab some blankets from a pile in the corner "Nah. S'not worth being in Santa Carla during the day. All the fun happens at night. So what, you been wondering why we're not around during the day?"

"Not particularly," she shrugged honestly, although she was surprised it had barely crossed her mind before then "I was just ready to accept the fact that you're all _obviously_ vampires and move on."

She laughed quietly at her own joke, but Paul seemed too preoccupied with setting up the alcove for her. Unzipping her backpack, she pulled out the only change of clothes she'd grabbed – a long black tank-top that stopped at her upper thigh. She often used it as a dress along with leggings or tights on nights out, but for now it would do as something more comfortable than jeans to sleep in. She kicked off her boots and was half way through shimmying out of her jeans when she heard an exclamation behind her.

"Well, shit! That'll teach me to turn my back."

She felt her cheeks heat up but ignored it, kicking her jeans off so that they were on top of her backpack before pulling her t-shirt over her head.

"You'd see more of me at a beach. Well. I suppose _you_ won't."

She tugged the tank-top on over her head, doing her best to ignore the cold sea air.

"My turn to strip now?"

Catriona couldn't help but give a small, pleased smile at the way Paul's eyes were raking over her.

"No need, that top is more holes than fabric," she joked, but that didn't stop here from eyeing him when he shrugged his jacket off and then his shirt.

* * *

Catriona had come to a firm decision that the Lost Cave was one of her favourite places to be. Especially when _Led Zeppelin_ was playing softly in the background and she was comfortable and warm in the arms of a certain Lost Boy.

"Non...Inferiora...Secutus..." Paul murmured slowly, tracing the words tattooed on the back of her neck with his free hand, the other arm being wrapped around her abdomen "Latin?"

"Christ, Hawkeye, you can read that in this light?" she laughed quietly and then nodded in agreement "It translates, roughly, to 'not having followed the inferior'. It's the clan motto – my mum's clan motto, that is. Not the Mackenzie one. Think I offended my dad my not getting his."

"What's the Mackenzie one?"

"Luceo non uro. I shine not burn. Mackenzie itself means 'born of fire'."

He seemed to find that hilarious and Catriona was too tired to ask why, pegging it up to another odd inside joke that she doubted she'd ever understand.

"So family mottos are a big deal in Scotland?"

"Well, we all have them but not many of us really care," she shrugged "I just thought my mum's was cool."

"You got any more?"

"Tattoos?"

"Mmm."

"You mean you didn't notice it?"

"What?"

"I've got a design on my right hip, runs down to the top of my thigh. C'mon, you had to have seen it! You saw me without any pants on last night. I got changed in front of you just now!"

"I'm way too much of a gentleman to have noticed," he huffed mock-indignantly.

"Oh, so you were too busy staring at my arse, then?"

"Duh."

Catriona dissolved into giggles.

"So am I gonna get to see this ink or not?" he wriggled his eyebrows at her and Catriona gave a small embarrassed smile.

"Maybe," she murmured, eyes fluttering shut "If I'm in a good mood when I wake up."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'll admit, this chapter contains what is probably the most heated scene I've ever written – I always feel awkward writing things like that, but in this story it can't be avoided, so I hope I did a half decent job! Thank you so much to those who review. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I could get used to this," Catriona murmured groggily upon waking up.

"Good," Paul's reply was muffled, his face buried in her neck "Do."

She gave a contented hum, feeling his thumb trace circles on her hip where her top had ridden up.

"You'll need to come to England to visit," she sighed, still half-asleep.

"Hmm," he murmured non-commitally before placing a kiss on her kneck, right on her tattoo.

"Y'know, with your obsession with my neck, I'm surprised you never noticed the tat before now."

He playfully nipped at her neck in retaliation and she gave a soft gasp. He gave a quiet chuckle at that and pulled her closer against him, hand on her hip pulling slightly, urging her to turn over. Catriona complied, turning over so that she lay on her back, her head turned so that they were face to face.

"Hey," she murmured softly, beginning to wake up properly.

"Hey," he gave her a small smile back, but it lit up his face all the same as a full blown grin.

"Oh, shit," she sighed with a quiet laugh, tilting her head back and closing her eyes "I'm not wearing any make-up, am I?"

Instead of receiving a verbal response, Catriona felt the mattress dip underneath her as Paul shifted, and then his lips were on hers. Eyes flying open in surprise, she then relaxed, eyes closing again, and smiled slightly into the kiss. He shifted so that his right arm was on her other side, supporting most of his weight as he leaned over her. He pulled away but stayed nose-to-nose with her, eyeing her quietly as though waiting for her to push him away. It was the most serious and thoughtful she'd ever seen him, and it stirred up odd emotions that she didn't want to think over at that time. It would only complicate things.

It was a small gesture of respect, but still it meant a lot to her. They were alone, both half-naked in a bed with Bon Jovi's _Bad Medicine_ playing in the background – it was obvious where this was leading, but the fact that he'd stopped to make sure she was on the same wavelength only made her more sure of where she wanted it to go.

Slowly, she lifted her arm and brought a hand to the side of his jaw, his stubble tickled her fingertips, and she lifted her head so that her lips met his again. Losing a great deal of his serious attitude, Paul began to kiss her back with more heat now, and shifted so that he was on top of her, legs between hers.

Catriona let out a quiet breath, surprised at how much she enjoyed his weight on top of her, and how much she enjoyed his hot, calloused fingertips hands against her skin even more. His hands trailed down the outside of her thighs before travelling back up to her sides, pulling her top up with them. They broke the kiss as he pulled her top over her head, leaving her in her underwear, and went back to kissing her neck. Catriona's hands tangled in his hair as he placed another bite on her neck, harder than the last one before placing a slow kiss in the same spot. No doubt that would leave a mark, but Catriona found the idea of that only made her heart beat faster.

"You good?" Paul asked between kisses, moving down past her collarbone and towards her cleavage.

Catriona didn't know if he somehow figured she wasn't very experienced, or if he was simply being considerate, but she appreciated it either way and gave a breathy murmur of approval. Bending her legs and squeezing her thighs against his hips, she surprised herself by letting out a moan when he reacted by grinding his jean clad hips against her. His belt scraped against her abdomen, but this only spurred her on, His stubble tickled her bare skin as he continued to kiss his way down her body, stopping just above her belly button and then veering off to the side as he threw the blankets away from them and inspected the tattoo on her right hip in the dim lighting.

An old fashioned greyscale revolver nestled among a series of vivid red roses, the thorny stems entwined around the barrel, grip and trigger of the gun. He placed another slow, deliberate kiss onto the muzzle of the gun and Catriona resisted the urge to squirm. Slowly he rose so that they were face to face again and his lips met hers once more. With his right hand he began to pull at the hem of her underwear as his left pulled at her thigh, meaning to bring it up to his hip. Immediately a throbbing pain shot through her thigh when he did this and Catriona let out a high pitched gasp of pain. Jumping back, Paul eyed her in concern before realising what had happened – his grip had been on the bruises from the previous night.

It was this interruption that allowed them to hear the faint roar of the motorcycles approaching outside.

"Oh, shit," they hissed simultaneously – Catriona in panic and Paul in annoyance.

Rolling off of the mattress and stranding up, he threw her tank top towards her and she caught it, pulling it over her head as he hiked his jeans up his hips, a series of curses leaving his lips. Catriona grabbed her own jeans from where she'd left them, only just able to hear the sound of footsteps on the rickety wooden stairs outside.

David and Dwayne entered the cave seconds later, Paul and Catriona practically falling onto one of the sofas, Paul pulling Catriona over so that she was basically lounging across his lap. He pulled a joint from his jacket pocket and lit it, trying to make the scenario appear more innocent. If the others caught wind of what they'd interrupted, Catriona didn't doubt they'd be the butt of the rest of the night's jokes.

"Had a feeling you two'd be here," David said in a way of greeting "Marko's taking care of dinner."

"Nice," Catriona nodded, all too aware of Paul's fingertips tracing invisible patterns on her shoulder.

"...We interrupt something?" David smirked slowly, taking in their flushed, dishevelled appearances.

"Yeah," Paul groaned like a kid who'd been told he couldn't have any ice cream.

Catriona stifled a giggle at his response and did her best to ignore the burning of her cheeks "It's fine."

"Well shit, little bastard was right," David snorted to Dwayne who was doing a poor job at hiding his own amusement "Really though, Paul? _Bad Medicine_?"

"Whatever," Paul muttered, placing the joint between Catriona's lips before resting his now free hand on her thigh "Cat needs a place to stay."

"That so?" David asked, sitting down.

"I don't," Catriona shook her head quickly "Not any more. I came up with a solution."

"Since when?" Paul frowned.

"About five minutes ago."

"Five minutes ago?! When we were-"

" _Before_ that!" she gave a laugh.

"What's going on?" David sighed, clearly not appreciating being out of the loop.

"Bryana and Sophie _seized_ the fucking beds," Catriona snorted before exhaling smoke "Gave me nowhere to sleep. Now, before we left England we worked out the cost and Sophie and I both gave Bryana our share for the two weeks in cash, Bryana then paid for the whole thing on her card, yeah? So any additional cost goes to her card, doesn't cost me shit."

"I like where this is going," David gave a small smile.

"I go in, tell her either I get a place to sleep or I'll trash the damn room and not help her pay any of the damages."

"And what if she says no?" Dwayne eyed her, and Catriona knew what he was getting at.

At 5'3" Catriona wasn't incredibly intimidating. She looked out of place enough hanging out with The Lost Boys. She didn't exactly stand as such a threat.

"That's where my new and _incredibly handsome_ , American friends would be as lovely as to do me a favour?" she gave a small, sheepish smile.

"Flattery'll get you everywhere," Paul murmured into her ear with a quiet laugh, hand squeezing her thigh.

"Not with these guys interrupting," she shot back, amused to see he was losing his disgruntled attitude.

"So what, you go in and make your threat and we stand around and look intimidating?" David raised his eyebrows.

"...Feel free to make mean comments too," she joked "But really, I was joking about that part...Although do feel free to help me trash the room, if it comes down to it."

"You're thinking like a Lost Boy," David nodded with a smirk "I like it."

Catriona felt an odd surge of pride at that remark, even if she didn't fully understand what Dwayne added next.

"Yeah, just we tend to get bloody."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm not sure whether I should change the rating to "M" seeing as I don't intend to go into full blown descriptions, and what is in this chapter is as far as I intend to go so I'm not sure?**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story! I was on a roll and ended up writing this today, and I didn't see any point in waiting to post it. As always, thanks so much to everybody who reviews, it makes my day :)**

* * *

Catriona's heart was pounding as they pulled up in front of the hotel room. She'd never stood up to anybody before, not to the extent she was planning to, and she was nervous that her voice would shake or that she'd stutter or Bryana would just laugh right in her face. David killed the engine of his bike beside them, a small smirk playing on his face. She'd only wanted to bring along Paul, but David had insisted on joining – saying he wanted to see her in action. Catriona suspected it was yet another test to see if she was "Lost Boy material", making her all the more nervous. What if she stuttered? What if Bryana made a fool out of her? She gave a quiet, nervous laugh when Paul kissed her knuckles as he helped her off the back of his bike before following her.

The lights in the hotel room were on but the curtains were drawn, she could see figures moving around the room every now and then. Opening the glass doors, Catriona pulled the curtains to the side and snorted at what she saw. Bryana sat on one bed, eyeliner smudged half way down her face, nursing a bottle of vodka with a Surf Nazi beside her whilst Sophie sat on the other bed, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

The Surf Nazi eyed Catriona with disinterest as she entered the room, but when David and Paul followed her in he was on his feet and out the other door within seconds, only goodbye being a mumbled "Screw this, man."

"Come on in," she murmured to the Lost Boys, walking to the centre of the small room.

David moved to lean against the door that the Surf Nazi had used to leave whilst Paul stood in the entrance of the glass doors. Both eyed her with anticipation and Catriona felt nerves begin to build up in her chest, like an odd version of stage fright. Sophie's eyes were flickering between them all warily, whilst Bryana was doing her best to look dignified and haughty in her drunken state.

"Are we sitting comfortably?" Catriona asked, and continued before anybody could respond "Good! Then I'll begin. Bryana, you'll remember the £170 I gave you for this room, yes?"

"After waiting for four weeks for you to actually give me the damn money, yeah I do," Bryana snorted, crossing her arms.

Catriona did her best not to react. Her books for university that month had cost her an arm and a leg, and so she hadn't had the money to pay Bryana for the room until the next month. Bryana, of course, had done her best not to let Catriona forget it, probably assuming that Catriona had done it on purpose, for whatever reason.

"Good! Just checking. Way I see it is, either I get a bed here – which is what I paid for – or you can give me my money back _and_ we'll trash the damn place," she sat down on the bed beside, Sophie, crossing one leg over the other over the side of the mattress.

"Oh please. Who the fuck do you think you are? You show up with your little boyfriend and think we'll be scared," Bryana gave a snort "I didn't try to stop you from sleeping here."

That was Bryana's own personal brand of aggression – do something antagonistic and then deny the hell out of it if confronted - and it had always driven Catriona insane. Bryana continued but Catriona stopped listening. She stood wandered over towards her suitcase behind the bed, Paul's pocket knife still resting on top of it. Slowly she unfolded the knife.

"Shit, now it's a real party," David chuckled from the doorway and Paul gave a bark of laugher, a higher degree of interest on his face now.

"What are you going to do? Cut me?" Bryana snickered.

Catriona eyed Sophie, who had to turn to face her, and Bryana who was watching her with a smug smirk. Holding the knife so that it faced outwards and her thumb on the bottom of the handle, Catriona drove the knife into the wall and dragged it backwards, towards her, creating a rip in the plaster.

"You psycho bitch!" Bryana's smile was gone and she stared at the wall, wide-eyed "Do you have any idea how much that is going to cost me?"

Clearly, she'd thought Catriona was bluffing.

"Longer you keep this up, longer your bill gets," Catriona shrugged, feigning nonchalance and trying to ignore how damn good it felt to get her own back.

Paul was chuckling at the scenario and pulled a joint from his jacket, lighting it up then and there, much to Bryana's outrage.

"You can't smoke that in here!"

"Who can't?" he rolled his eyes, blowing smoke towards her.

"Catriona don't you think this is a bit-" Sophie tried.

"David, you want a turn?" Catriona asked, pulling the knife from the wall and wiping it off on her jeans.

"You even have to ask?" David gave her a smirk and began to make his way towards the large mirror on the other side of the room.

"Stop!" Bryana cut in immediately "You can have the fucking bed, just calm down! Stop being a psycho!"

David stopped, a disappointed look on his face.

"Aww! Thank you!" Catriona sighed in mock gratitude "I'm so glad we could come to an understanding."

"This isn't over," Bryana hissed, standing up, going nose to nose with Catriona "You're big and clever now because your wannabe gang buddies are here. What do you think this is? _Sons of Anarchy_? Wait until we get to the airport next week. Wait until we get back to England. You'll pay for that. Maybe not in cash, but everybody's going to know how much of a nutcase you are."

"In a city that I left two years ago, full of people that I don't give a shit about," Catriona shrugged.

"And in a city where nobody ever gave a shit about you," Bryana's words were slurred, but she had a look of triumph on her face.

"Bry-" Sophie began, but once again was cut off.

"Good thing she's here now then, huh?" Paul shrugged indifferently, but his eyes held a challenge.

"For how long?" Bryana smirked, keeping her eyes on Catriona and the redhead did her best to not be unnerved by the truth.

"Now ain't that a loaded question," David snorted "We done here?"

"We are. Thanks guys," Catriona nodded in response, her tone sincere "Really, I do appreciate it."

"Anytime," David nodded "See you tomorrow night."

As soon as David was gone, Paul was pulling Catriona outside, out of view of her friends, before pulling her close and kissing her. She barely had time to register what was happening before he pulled away and gave laugh.

"Now that was hot," he smirked down at her, slipping his fingers through the belt loops of her jeans to keep her close "Remind me never to piss you off."

"What, for the next ten nights?" she sighed, resting her forehead on his chest.

"Don't tell me that shit actually got to you!" he groaned "Little bitch doesn't know shit about anything."

"Well that's true," she sighed "I'm sorry."

"Got nothin' to be sorry for, babe," he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head, his tone then turning joking "David and Dwayne, though? Don't think I'll ever forgive them for earlier."

"What, for interrupting?" she moved back a tad so she could look up at him with a shy smile.

"About that," Paul murmured, eyes flickering to the hickey he'd left on her neck "You good with where that was goin'?"

Catriona looked up at him, then to the open door beside them and then sighed. She walked backwards a few feet, hand pulling on his wrist so he followed.

"Are you?"

"You need to ask?" he gave her a crooked grin "Stop avoiding the question."

"I would never do that," she shrugged...and then didn't answer the question.

" _Babe_ ," he groaned dramatically "You're killing me here."

"I'm good with it," she sighed, avoiding his gaze.

"I'm sensing a but."

" _But_ I've never, uh, well...Y'know," she refused to look at him.

"Are you trying to tell me that my little kitty Cat is an innocent?" he eyed her in surprise "Really?"

"She will be for the forseeable future if you keep that up," she snorted, embarrassed, and crossed her arms, going to take a step back when he caught her arm and pulled her closer.

"I'm just playing," he placated, moving his hands to rest on her hips "You know I think you're like...really, really awesome, right?"

"And I keep you around because you roll a great joint," she joked, trying to shake off the embarrassment.

"Good to know where we stand," he gave a laugh, hand moving below her chin, tilting her head up so he could kiss her again.

* * *

"Peace offering?"

Catriona jumped at the voice that sounded behind her and shifted to see Sophie, a box of dark brown hair dye warily held out in front of her. Catriona gave a soft laugh. In high school Sophie would help her dye her hair every few months – the blonde had wanted to get into beauty school at the time and because of the length of her hair, Catriona had no hope of attempting it herself without having to go to a salon and pay a ridiculous price.

The previous night had been awkward. After Paul had left, Bryana spent the night glaring at her and Sophie awkwardly hovered around the room, clearly not sure what to do. Catriona didn't care too much – she'd been given a bed and her attention was focused on Paul and that night's developments.

"Before we left you mentioned you were getting sick of the red...I guessed that brown would be the best bet since it'll match your roots anyway..." Sophie continued nervously "But I mean, if not we can go buy another colour and I'll use the brown at some point, yeah?"

"You suit blonde," Catriona spoke eventually, patting the sand beside her as a signal that Sophie could sit beside her if she wanted to.

"You want me to put this in your hair now?" Sophie offered.

"Maybe some other night," Catriona shook her head "I'll need to get ready to find them soon."

"Your...friends?"

"The Lost Boys, yeah."

"They're scary."

"At times."

"Look," Sophie lowered herself down to sit beside her, fingers nervously pulling at the corners of the box of hair dye "What's between you and Bry..."

Catriona tensed.

"No, no, hear me out," Sophie's hand found Catriona's shoulder "You guys have always been, like...I don't know, frenemies? And I've always tried not to get involved."

Catriona held back a laugh at that.

"Okay, so maybe I do a shit job at it," Sophie sighed "But me and Bry? We've known each other since we were five."

"So what? I should understand why you sit by and let her treat me like shit for no reason?" Catriona raised an eyebrow.

"You should understand that _I_ understand why she is the way she is. Look, she's having it tough lately. Her mum-"

"Yeah, yeah, her mum prefers her sister, very tragic. My dad skipped out on me and whenever that gets brought up, she rolls her eyes. So why should I have any sympathy for her?"

"I'm not saying that this is your fault," Sophie groaned "I'm just trying to help you understand. She's going through a tough time, so then when she sees you...I don't know, thriving in London, picking up a hot guy on our first night here...It's hard on her, you know? She wonders why it's you and not her."

"So that's what this is? Envy?"

" _Insecurity_."

"Poor her."

"Cat, don't be like that."

"What am I meant to be like, Soph? Should I go in there and apologise to her for having a good time? For meeting a guy that I like?"

"A guy you like, hmm? How about love?"

"I didn't say that."

"You may as well have."

"I've known him for less than a week."

"Time doesn't mean anything when it comes to feelings," Sophie shrugged.

Catriona gave a small laugh. The one thing she'd always liked about Sophie was her often flower-child like attitude. Catriona had always been a pessimist, ever since she could remember, for her the glass was half empty. For Sophie, the glass was refillable.

"So have you done it yet?"

"No," Cat shook her head and then spoke more quietly "...Not yet."

Whilst she was grateful to finally have somebody to talk about this with, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know where it was going. She'd rather let things happen and think about them later, but unfortunately her brain wasn't allowing her that.

"Yet?"

"Do you think I should?" she felt oddly vulnerable asking the question "We nearly did it last night and I mean, it felt so right but I don't know if that was just hormones talking at the time...I was tired..."

"I think you're more likely to go home regretting not doing it, than the other way round. I know you, Cat, and I've never seen you like this over a guy before. Hell, I've never seen you take any interest in a guy before. Not one who wasn't famous, anyway," Sophie sighed "I mean, sure, worst case scenario you never see him again but you'll always have the memory. Maybe it'd even be better off that way. Something short, never got the chance to get passed the honeymoon stage. No growing apart or nasty breakups to deal with."

"I suppose," Catriona nodded slowly.

"Just...be safe, yeah? Last thing you need when we go back is a little biker baby."

Catriona gave a snort and didn't respond.

* * *

Catriona watched the band that was playing on the boardwalk that night with little interest. Their songs were good enough, but the singer was trying too hard to sound like Axl Rose and all of their songs used the same few chords.

"Well shit, somebody looks hot tonight."

She only just managed not to jump when Paul's voice sounded behind her. She had made an effort, it was pointless to deny it. She'd curled her hair, paid more attention to her eyeliner and even opted for a deep red lipstick. Her shirt was just an old Motley Crue tee that she'd cut into an only slightly low-cut tank top, but the skirt she wore was something she suspected her brother would refuse to let her leave the house in back home. It wasn't scandalously short, but it was tight and she was dreading trying to get onto the bike in it. But Paul's reaction was worth it. Plus, knowing she looked good gave her the confidence she needed.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for guitarists," she teased, nodding towards the band on stage and giving a giggle when his arms wrapped around her torso "And I'll have you know, I look hot every night."

"Well, _I'll_ have _you_ know that I play a mean guitar solo," he planted a kiss on her neck and she leaned back into him.

"See, before you told me that I wasn't attracted to you what-so-ever," she teased and then squirmed ticklishly when he squeezed her hips.

"Uh-huh, sure babe," he murmured playfully.

"I'm only hanging around because I'm hoping Dwayne will look my way," she continued and gave a shriek of laughter when his teeth grazed her neck "Asshole!"

The rest of the Lost Boys arrived moments later, teasing Paul about how he never waited around for them before leaving the cave any more.

"How'd the situation with your friends go?" David asked, stepping closer so he wouldn't have to shout over the music.

"I made peace with one of them," she shrugged, actually quite pleased about the situation.

David's eyebrows rose, but his face held more exasperation than joy.

"That so? The blonde?"

"Indeed," she nodded with a grin, thanking Dwayne when he handed her a beer.

"Well then, we're all celebrating tonight then!" David's quiet attitude disappeared along with any serious conversation for the night.

The tension between Paul and Catriona that night was almost tangible. Unlike the previous nights, they both knew exactly where they stood and what the other wanted – the fact that they both happened to want the same thing only made things easier. The only unanswered question was "when?" It soon became apparent that the answer to that question was "as soon as possible."

Catriona found herself hyper-aware of every interaction between them, although she wasn't sure if it was just in her mind or if her earlier preening combined with the events last night had just made Paul more forward. Either way, she didn't care. All she could focus on was him. The way his fingertips brushed against her lips as it set the joint between them. The way he squeezed her hip over her skirt, only for a moment, right where her tattoo was – as if to remind her of the previous night.

The only suitable response quickly became apparent – Catriona gave as good as she got. She shot him a playful look from his side as her lips wrapped around the rim of the beer bottle, she placed small, teasing kisses to his jaw, laughing when they left lipstick marks that he didn't bother wiping off. Although, she supposed that was only fair – she was sporting a purple mark on her neck in the spot that he refused to leave alone. They were oblivious to everything else around them, but they were soon reminded that the world wasn't oblivious to them.

"Christ you two, would you get a cave?" David snorted, moments after Paul growled when Catriona bit his lip with a playful grin.

"You wanna?" Paul murmured, eyes meeting hers intently.

"Yeah," the word escaped her lips before she knew she was saying it and before she knew it, he was pulling her off towards his bike.

She was only vaguely aware of Marko cheering behind them.


	14. Chapter 14

"High expectations?" Catriona asked, amused, when she spotted the alcove she'd slept in the previous night now had blankets and sheets pinned up around the entrance as makeshift curtains, blocking out any light and offering privacy

"We were gonna offer to let you stay here if your plan didn't work once we were gone," Paul replied sheepishly "Worked out though, right?"

Paul tugged at his various wristbands and bracelets, dropping them on the fountain edge one by one whilst Catriona moved to one of the couches to untie her boots. Her heart was pounding in her chest, from both nerves and anticipation, but she did her best not to let it show, kicking her boots underneath the couch before standing up and making her way towards the alcove. Paul had finished with his bracelets and had begun to sift through his collection of tapes, mumbling to himself. Eventually he found the one he was looking for – Catriona had no idea how one person could own so many tapes and mix tapes – and put it in the boombox, the mixtape kicked off with Motley Crue's _Girls, Girls, Girls._

"How romantic," she teased, resisting the almost instinctual urge to back up as he swaggered towards her, a smirk on his face.

Not responding verbally, he kissed her hard and Catriona's arms moved to wrap around his neck, moving to her tiptoes so that he didn't need to lean down as much. She didn't even need to open her eyes to see how this amused him, she could practically sense him trying not to laugh. His hands slid from her waist, to her hips and then to her thighs, careful to avoid her bruises. He then hoisted her up, hands under her thighs to support her weight as she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing their faces level.

She gave a high pitched squeak of surprise at that, but before he could break the kiss to laugh at her reaction, she deepened it, tightening her legs around his torso and moving her hands to push his jacket from his shoulders. He let go of her for a second to let the jacket fall to the ground before his hands were back on her thighs. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Catriona was impressed with the ease he carried her with, but the rest of her was too preoccupied with the feeling of his hands, hot against her almost bare legs. He walked them forwards, passing through the curtains of the alcove, plunging them into darkness.

"I can't see shit," she begrudgingly broke the kiss, the alcove so dark that she could barely distinguish between having her eyes open and having them closed.

"Fuck," Paul breathed, hands slipping from her legs before her feet met the floor "Gimme a sec."

Carefully, she felt her way towards the mattress as he ducked out from the alcove. It was only then when she noticed how erratic her breathing was, and she couldn't help but laugh quietly to herself, wondering what exactly she was getting herself into, but being more preoccupied with her anticipation for his return. Propping herself up with her elbows, she lay on the mattress, legs stretched out, one crossed over the other. The vague thought that her lipstick was probably now all over her mouth and Paul's briefly crossed her mind, but lost any importance when Paul returned to the alcove, without his boots. A lit candle from the fountain edge in each hand, he cursed when he nearly set the curtains on fire. Catriona couldn't hold back her laughter at the sight, filled with pure affection for the man in front of her. The amount of time, or lack thereof, that she'd known him was becoming more and more irrelevant with every passing moment.

He placed the candles on the ground, eyeing the distance between them and the mattress to make sure they wouldn't be interrupted by a fire starting. She watched as his gaze moved from the mattress to her, travelling slowly up her legs to where her skirt had ridden up, pausing on her upper thighs, realising for the first time that she wasn't wearing tights, but stockings instead. He gave a quiet groan at that discovery that set Catriona's blood on fire. His gaze then moved up again to where the neckline of her shirt had ridden _down_ , exposing a great deal of cleavage and she watched with a great deal of satisfaction as he bit his lip at the sight. His eyes lingered there for a moment before his eyes met hers, gleaming in the candlelight and Catriona couldn't even find it in her to make a joke, rendered speechless by the pure hunger in his gaze.

In a split second he was on top of her as he had been the previous night, but before he could kiss her Catriona yanked his shirt off, over his head, hands moving to his chest, desperate for some kind of skin-on-skin contact. It seemed that he had the same idea, for the second his shirt was off, hers followed. Almost immediately his lips were attached to the parts of her now exposed tattoo, kissing and nipping at it as he slid her skirt down her hips and threw it to the side. Gradually his attention moved to his left until his lips found the middle of her abdomen whilst he fiddled with her stockings, struggling with the straps. Eventually he lost his patience and tugged at it hard, Catriona gasping in a mix of surprise and delight as he tore the fabric from her hips. He kissed his way down her other hip, leaving a teasing bite when he reached the waistband of her underwear before moving his attention to her legs.

He seemed intent on not allowing any inch of her escape his attention, pressing his lips against every new piece of skin that was exposed as he pulled the stocking down her leg before repeating the process with the other leg. Before long, Catriona was squirming, revelling in the way his stubble tickled the soft skin of her thighs. Missing his lips on hers, she guided him back up over her, biting at the corner of her lower lip when he placed a chaste kiss on the one spot on her neck that he seemed so infatuated with, as though reminding himself to return there later. Mostly just to get a rise out of him, Catriona lifted her lips to his neck and bit down lightly. The result was instantaneous, as Paul gave a low moan and his hips snapped down against hers, Catriona's own groan muffled by his shoulder. Almost immediately, her hands moved down to his belt, struggling to undo it and kiss him at the same time. After a moment his hands moved from her hips to still her own hands and he broke the kiss.

"I ain't wearing underwear," he murmured, almost like a warning, as though giving her one final opportunity to change her mind.

"Isn't that the point?" she was surprised at how breathy her own voice was, but then gave a laugh when Paul's hands joined hers in their effort to get his jeans off.

For Catriona, the rest of that night was a blur of racing heartbeats, pure pleasure, Paul's lips on hers...and then finally, a murmured apology and a searing pain streaking through her neck.

* * *

Paul was still awake when the rest of the Lost Boys returned hours later, having sat at Cat's side with a look of concern on his face for most of that time. Upon hearing their bikes, he quickly got up and pulled his jeans on before covering Cat with the blankets as best he could, leaving her exposed only from the neck up. She was still worryingly pale. With a muttered curse, he got up and left the alcove, pacing back and forth beside the fountain as he waited for his brothers to enter.

"It done?" David was all business upon arrival, shrugging his coat off and removing his gloves.

"Yeah but she's real pale," Paul bit his lip, gesturing to the alcove "Pretty much blacked out, too."

David nodded and, at Paul's gesture, made his way over to where Cat slept, leaving the curtains pinned back, offering more light to the alcove. Paul hadn't been exaggerating, her skin was practically grey, contrasting starkly with her red hair. Kneeling beside the mattress, he carefully placed a fingertip underneath her jaw and tilted her head to the side to inspect the bite on the left side of her neck. She was cold. To a mortal, the bite would look bad, but David had seen worse. Dried blood surrounded the puncture marks Paul's teeth had left, and bruises surrounded the punctures, but that was it – there were no angry looking tears, no gaping wounds and the bruising would be gone in a few hours.

At the same time, Dwayne entered the alcove and knelt at Cat's other side, pulling her arm from beneath the blanket carefully, knowing Paul wouldn't appreciate it if the covers slipped and he saw something he wasn't meant to.

"Pulse is strong," he nodded after pressing a finger to her wrist.

"Bite's clean," David muttered back, relieved.

They'd never exactly been careful or gentle with their kills – after all, they had no reason to be – and so David had been worried about the possibility that Paul could go too far and accidentally kill the girl. That was another reason why he'd tried to push him to do it the other way. Drinking blood from the bottle allowed very little room for something to go horribly wrong. The hard part wasn't over yet, though, and he knew that she wasn't going to take the news well. However, she hadn't died, and that was something worth celebrating.

"Guess I should break the good news," David muttered.

"Don't pretend you're not relieved too," Dwayne snorted good-naturedly, placing Cat's arm back down to her side.

"I still remember what happened last time we turned someone."

"That was different."

"Let's hope so."

Standing, David left the alcove, Dwayne in tow. Marko sat beside Paul on one of the couches, looking a little lost for words, and they could see why. None of them had ever seen Paul so serious. Throughout the time that any of them had known Paul, and that was a damn long time, none of them could recall a moment when they'd seen him look worried. Sure, there was the occasional moment where he was serious about something, but never worried. Until now. On the couch he sat, nearly as pale as Cat, an unlit cigarette hanging between his lips, staring at nothing.

"Your girl's fine."

Paul jumped at David's words, cigarette falling from his lips and hitting the floor. _  
_

"She is?"

"Recovering," David confirmed "She'll wake up tomorrow night."

"And the, uh...the bite?"

"It'll be nothing more than a hickey by the time she wakes up. If that. How's the wrist?"

Paul held up his wrist distractedly – what would've been a serious laceration only hours ago now looked like little more than a papercut.

"She drank?"

"Yeah," Paul's attention was still fixed on the alcove.

"Give her the blood from the bottle when she wakes up. It'll make her feel better. You need to figure out how you're gonna tell her," David sighed before shaking his head, now wasn't the time for a lecture "Go on, go be with her. The sun'll be up soon."

* * *

 **A/N: Haaaa so I was so nervous about writing this! Writing anything remotely steamy really is something I'm completely new to, so I hope it went well! Sorry for the delay, in the end I had to make a playlist that fit and just listen to it on repeat to get myself through this one, hah. I posted the playlist that I listen to when writing this story on my blog along with links to the songs, my username on Tumblr is "liisi-laukkanen" :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you guys so so much for the unbelievably lovely reviews on the last chapter! They really made me smile and I'm delighted to know you're enjoying the story. I feel quite insecure about my writing at times, so it's nice to know that people like it. I know in the movie, after Michael drank the blood, the effects kicked in very quickly, but for the sake of the plot, I've slowed that down a bit – maybe it effects each person differently?**

 **EDIT: I posted this chapter twice because the first time I did, I didn't get an email saying it was posted so I doubt anybody who is subscribed got one either, so I deleted it and posted it again. Sorry if you actually did get an email about it!**

* * *

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus," Catriona mumbled into Paul's chest "I had a crazy nightmare."

It had taken her a moment to find her bearings upon waking up with Paul's arms wrapped around her, one of his hands buried in her hair and the other on the small of her back, keeping her against him. She felt different – more different than she expected to. Although she was surprisingly non-sore, her head was pounding and she felt weak. Her limbs ached and there was an odd sensation on the left side of her neck, although she suspected that that had a lot to do with Paul's obsession with kissing or nipping at it at every chance he got. Still, she'd never been warned about any of this when all of her friends had discussed how they'd lost their virginity.

"I have that effect on women."

Paul's voice was scratchy from sleep and she gave a small smile, doubting he would appreciate being called cute, no matter how cute she found it. Despite how physically weak she felt, emotionally she'd never been more content.

"Are the others back yet?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed and trying to shake off how drained she felt.

"Back? Babe, you slept all day," he laughed quietly and her eyes flew open "They've come and gone."

"Shit," she groaned – she'd intended to phone her family that day, no doubt her brother was worrying himself sick after their last phone call "I should get up."

"No," Paul groaned, pulling her closer "Let's just stay here forever, yeah?"

"Forever?" she giggled "That won't work."

"How not?"

"Well sooner or later we'll get old and there's fuck all wheelchair access in here," she offered, wriggling in his grasp so that they were face-to-face rather than face-to-chest.

She was surprised at how well she could now see in the darkness of the alcove, but shrugged it off – her eyes must have adjusted.

"If I don't phone my family to let them know I'm okay, they'll probably show up on the boardwalk," she yawned, stretching but otherwise not moving despite her words "Last I spoke to my brother, I didn't have a place to sleep. I should let him know I'm safe."

Almost as soon as it left her lips, the word "safe" triggered a memory in Catriona and she felt her blood run cold.

" _Just...be safe, yeah? Last thing you need when we go back is a little biker baby."_

"Oh, shit," she shot up and stared at Paul in horror, hand going to her mouth.

"What? What is it?" he jumped at her sudden panic.

"We didn't use anything," her voice was barely a whisper and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well I used _something_ -"

"Not that!" she didn't know whether to laugh or cry " _Protection_ , Paul."

She waited for him to begin panicking with her, and only ended up staring at him in astonishment when he gave a laugh and relaxed back down onto the mattress, lying on his back. When he was quite done laughing at her, he gave a sigh and pulled her closer so that she was lying down again, her head on his chest.

"Sorry," he breathed eventually, sensing her disgruntlement "I ain't laughing at you. I'm shootin' blanks, babe."

"...Oh," she murmured, suddenly feeling very stupid "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he snorted, seeming genuinely unbothered, moving a hand up to stroke her bare back "It's a, uh, side effect of a pre-existing condition."

"A pre-existing condition? You're not sick, are you?" she frowned, refusing to acknowledge just how distressed she was at that idea.

"I'm not sick and you're not pregnant," he chuckled before rolling them over so that he was on top of her, giving a mischievous smirk "I say that's a cause for celebration."

* * *

Hours later, Paul and Catriona had managed to drag themselves from their makeshift bedroom and out to the boardwalk. They left Paul's bike beside the glass doors that led to Catriona's hotel room, stopped so she could change into clean clothes before trudging down the beach hand-in-hand, in search for the other three Lost Boys.

It didn't take long to find them, sprawled out around a bonfire that Catriona was sure they'd commandeered rather than built themselves.

"Well, if it isn't the happy couple," David's tone was mocking, but there was no real malice to his words.

"I dunno, man, I've never heard of Paul keeping a girl happy," Marko jabbed.

Paul retorted with a good-natured insult towards Marko that Catriona didn't bother to listen to, moving over to sit beside Dwayne as her boyfriend moved to the side to talk to David.

"Hey, you know when you looked at my arm the other night?" she spoke quietly, feeling stupid for even bringing it up.

She'd first noticed that her arm and bruises had completely healed when she was changing. She'd shown Paul, but he didn't seem at all phased by it, but she _knew_ it wasn't normal. How could it be? The arm had been pissing blood only a few nights ago.

"Uh-huh," he nodded, turning so that he was angled towards her.

That was one thing about Dwayne that unnerved Catriona - whenever he spoke to somebody, it was always clear that they had his full attention. It wasn't a bad thing, if anything it was good. It drove her mad when she tried to talk to Bryana and her "friend" seemed to make a visible effort to seem _uninterested_. However, Catriona struggled with eye-contact at the best of times, and so she often felt something akin to stage fright when she had Dwayne's full attention.

"How long do you think it should've taken to heal? I mean, it was pretty bad, right?"

"I'm not a doctor, Cat," he looked somewhat amused, but she didn't miss the way he shifted uncomfortably.

"Humour me?" she gave what she hoped was an endearing smile "I'm probably just over-thinking, as usual."

He nodded and then went quiet, a thoughtful look on his face.

"I'd say about a week," he spoke eventually "At most."

"A week?" she eyed him sceptically "To totally disappear?"

"Hey, maybe you're more resilient than you know," he shrugged and then gave a small laugh "You're the only person I've ever known to complain about healing fast."

"I'm not _complaining_ ," she defended, biting her lip "It's just...You really don't think it's weird?"

"I think stranger things have happened," he shrugged simply.

"Can't argue with that," Catriona sighed eventually with a shrug, figuring she really must have been overreacting "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he patted her shoulder reassuringly "Santa Carla has a way of getting to people who ain't used to it."

"You make it sound so spooky," she laughed, glancing up as Paul walked over and fell to her side.

"Murder capital of the world," his voice was filled with amusement when he said this, and Catriona didn't quite understand why.

Then again, at that point she was surprised when she actually understood the Lost Boys' odd jokes. With that, she let her worries go, resolving to enjoy the night instead.

* * *

"I'm gonna head back to the hotel," Catriona announced a few hours later, flicking the butt of her joint into the fire.

She'd felt odd all evening, and it just seemed to be getting worse and worse. It was like a hangover from hell that showed up for a few seconds and then left again every hour or so. At first she'd been able to ignore it, shrugging off the pangs of discomfort that spread through her abdomen and the sharp stabs of pain in her skull, but each time it came around it got more and more intense and the carnival music blaring along the boardwalk was less than helpful.

"I'll walk you back," Paul shrugged, moving to stand up with her but Catriona shook her head.

"I have a feeling that, for a while at least, every time we find ourselves in a room with a bed, we'll get a bit distracted," she laughed quietly so that the others wouldn't hear "Spend time with your friends. I feel bad for compromising so much of your attention."

"There's like, a whole list of shit that needs fixing with that sentence," he groaned.

"Enlighten me," she quirked an eyebrow.

"Okay, one – they're probably happy to get rid of me for a few hours...or nights, two – they're _our_ friends. Brothers, even. Stop underestimating your importance. And three – what the hell makes you think a lack of a bed would stop me?"

She gave a laugh and blushed only slightly. A week ago her face would've been crimson at such a comment.

"What the hell makes you think I _want_ to stop you?" she shot back, jumping out of his reach when he made to grab at her again.

"Gentlemen," she announced "...And Paul. It's been a pleasure. I'll see you guys tomorrow night, yeah?"

It was a question that she already knew the answer to, but she hated to assume, even now. Paul gave a grin at the fact that she hadn't referred to him as a gentleman, as though it were a compliment, and Catriona couldn't help but share his smile.

"Not if we see you first," David gave a small amused smile.

"My granda tells the same joke, you know," she teased, brushing the sand from her jeans.

"Sounds like a great guy," he shrugged and then gave her a nod "Goodnight Cat."

She had taken all but five steps down the beach when a hand grasped her arm, spinning her around. Knowing it was Paul before she even saw him, and so practically melted into him when he kissed her, hard. Smiling into the kiss, one hand moved to his shoulder and the other tangled in his hair. When he pulled away, neither of them moved, foreheads pressing against each other.

"Oh," she breathed, looking up at him with a teasing smile "It's you."

"Ass," he snorted "Sure you don't want me to walk you back?"

"I think I'll survive the perilous journey."

"Fine," he shrugged "Go up through the boardwalk though. There's some real scumbags on the beach tonight."

Catriona glanced down the beach to see he was right - it was mostly Surf Nazis, and with the way the Lost Boys antagonised them, she was sure it was in her best interest to avoid them.

"He's talkin' about us!" Marko called over and Catriona shook her head with a laugh.

"I'll stick to the boardwalk," she agreed.

"I'll see you when I come to get my bike, yeah?" he took a reluctant step back.

"If I don't get murdered on the way back to the hotel," she jested before turning and making her way up the steps to the boardwalk.

She didn't get very far before she was stopped again, but this time it wasn't by Paul.

"Hey!" she didn't realise the voice was calling after her until it was coming from right beside her.

Stopping, she turned in surprise to see the kid from the comic book shop a few days ago. What was he called again? Eric? Evan?

"What's up?" she frowned.

"We want to talk to you," he gestured to the comic book shop that she'd just passed where his brother was lurking in the doorway, obviously wanting to know what they were saying but needing to keep an eye on the shop.

"Why?" she crossed her arms slowly, unsure of the two ever since Paul had told her about them.

"We can help you," he spoke slowly, as though she were some kind of jumpy animal.

"With what exactly?" she gave an exasperated laugh.

"What's your name?"

"Catriona."

"Can I call you Cat?"

"No."

"Look, Catriona," he sighed in annoyance "You're not the first girl they've targeted."

" _Targeted_?" she laughed "What the hell are you talking about? What do you think they are, the mafia?"

"Worse."

Catriona stared at the kid, dumbfounded. Did he really have such a vendetta against the Lost Boys? Surely any normal person would've moved on. Her gaze then flickered in the direction of the Lost Boys. She hadn't gotten very far before the kid had stopped her, so they were still in plain sight.

"Look," she sighed "Eric-"

"Edgar."

"Whatever. I told you before, whatever's going on between you and them is between you and them. I'm not getting involved."

"You're already involved!" he was getting frustrated now and Catriona's eyes widened - he might've been younger than her, but she wasn't sure she could take him in a fight.

She looked back to the bonfire again, trying to decide if the Lost Boys would be able to hear her over the noise from the Boardwalk, but to her dismay there was now nobody around it.

"Just come talk to us, we're not gonna hurt you," he implored, calm again, exasperated, but still calm.

This didn't stop her from being on edge, though, especially when he reached out and grabbed her wrist after she moved to leave. Jumping back, Catriona tried to pull her wrist away, but his grip held. That was, until his brother called out.

"Edgar!" the panic was clear in the kid's previously stoic face and Catriona quickly realised why.

The Lost Boys were striding towards them, and Paul had a face like thunder.

* * *

 **A/N: I forgot to mention, I figured the Frog brothers know what they do about the Lost Boys from Sam and Michael – so, in my version of events the Emersons killed Max (with the "help" of the Frog brothers) but then didn't bother going after the Lost Boys because as far as they were concerned, their problem was solved and going after the rest would be too dangerous. The Emersons left along with Star and Laddie was returned to his parents (I'm assuming his parents are the one who put out the missing kid ad we see in the movie) who were given some excuse about where he was found - the truth wouldn't have been overly believable, after all. The Frogs, let's face it, wouldn't go after the Lost Boys by themselves. Hence them trying to get Cat on their side.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:This is a short one, but I liked leaving it where I did. The next chapter is a biggie. I'm actually in the process of writing chapter 19 right now, so I'm thinking I'll update maybe every other day or something seeing as they're now just sitting around on my laptop waiting to be posted – I don't want to bombard you guys with updates all at once so I won't be posting them as soon as I've finished them, but let me know how often you want me to update! I'm now writing this story for Camp NaNoWriMo (it has a website for those who don't know what it is! You basically try to write a certain amount of words in a month, my current goal is 25k but I'm already 1/3 of the way there so I might raise it), meaning I'll be writing multiple updates a day.**

* * *

Immediately Edgar's grip on her arm slackened and Catriona pulled herself free, taking a few steps back. She'd never seen anybody move so fast, as Edgar practically sprinted to his shop, comically pale at the sight of the Lost Boys.

"You okay?" Paul asked once she was within hearing distance.

Catriona nodded, wide-eyed at how livid he looked. As soon as she'd assured him, he spun on heel and strode towards the comic shop, Lost Boys in tow - except Marko, who continued towards her.

"C'mon Cat, I'll take you back," he tried to steer her away from the quickly escalating situation.

She ignored him and took a few unsure steps in the direction of the shop, not wanting any of the Lost Boys to get in trouble because of her.

"You're not welcome in here!" she heard Edgar protesting in a way that she was sure was intended to be intimidating, and from the angle she stood at she could just barely see him brandishing a...was that a water gun?!

Paul, Dwayne and David stood in the doorway of the shop, and whilst she couldn't see Paul's face, the malice in his voice was unmistakable.

"Touch my girl again," he practically growled "And I'll rip your throat out."

Oh, shit. Suddenly she could see why people on the boardwalk were so intimidated by them. Catriona dashed forward, shrugging off Marko when he tried to stop her. When she first grabbed Paul's arm, he tensed and moved as though he was getting ready to shove her away before he realised it was her.

"Come on, they're not worth it," she spoke nervously, taken aback by the pure rage on his face "They're kids. I'm fine."

His gaze flickered back to the Frog brothers before he seemed to visibly relax, turning to move away.

"Scared we'll tell her the truth?" the brother she didn't know the name of called out, but his bravery was lost when Paul spun round and the kid emitted an almost comedic high-pitched squeak.

"Paul," she pleaded, noticing that Marko had now joined them in the doorway.

Nobody moved and for a few tense moments, Catriona feared that Paul was genuinely going to lunge for the brothers...But then he sighed and shook his head, slinging an arm around her shoulders and pulling her away from the shop.

"Watch your backs," she heard David say lightly, as though he were wishing them a good night.

* * *

Upon hearing the quiet taps on the glass doors, Catriona rolled out of bed and quickly padded across the room, stepping out onto the beach. Paul was leaning against his bike, a cigarette between his lips. He'd barely said a word after the earlier incident. David had taken one look at him and calmly told him to take a walk, which Paul then did wordlessly. Marko walked her back to her hotel after that, insisting simply that Paul "had a temper" and "had to calm down". She'd begrudgingly accepted his answers, but she was still glad to see the blonde.

"Hey," she gave a soft smile, moving to his side and shaking her head when he offered the cigarette pack in her direction.

He slung his free arm around her shoulder and she rested her head against his chest.

"You feeling any better, babe?" clearly he wanted to pretend the earlier incident hadn't happened, and Catriona didn't have the energy to argue.

"Not really," she sighed "I couldn't sleep, either. Maybe you gave me cooties."

"Wanna play doctor and find out?"

He got a gentle elbow in the ribs for his trouble, but his response to that was just to laugh. Catriona couldn't help but smile with him - his laugh was infectious.

"I've been thinking," she began reluctantly after their laughter died down.

It was a topic she'd wanted to bring up for a while, but she wasn't sure if she should. After all, every time she'd hedged around it so far, Paul had reacted weirdly. The last thing she wanted to do was complicate things and possibly ruin them, but after having time to sit and think in the hotel room, she really saw no reasonable argument to not discuss it.

"Hmm?" he encouraged her to continue.

She shifted so that she was facing him and not the ocean.

"I have an option to do a term abroad at university, kind of like an exchange program - so I'd be spending a few months wherever I choose. I was going to choose maybe Scandinavia or Italy, but San Francisco is one of the options..." she trailed off, biting her lip when he didn't say anything and didn't meet her gaze before continuing "I mean, uh, the way my schedule works now is that I'm busy all Monday and all Friday, but I have the rest of the time off...it probably won't, but if it works out the same over here I could like, catch a bus or something and be here Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday _and_ Sunday. I'd have to study and stuff so it wouldn't be the same but...I could get a day job at the boardwalk or something..."

He still said nothing and she did her best to ignore the mix of hurt and frustration building up in her chest.

"You could come to London too, right? My flatmates wouldn't mind...We could explore London together," she gave a small, forced smile at that but he still said nothing and still didn't look at her.

Catriona didn't broach the subject of him meeting her family. Sure, things between her and Paul were moving fast, but not that fast. That, and his lack of reaction to anything she'd just said was worrying her greatly. From what she'd seen and what he'd told her, he didn't have any obligations in Santa Carla - no job, no school. His life seemed to be made up entirely of free time, so why was he refusing to acknowledge the possibility of him visiting her? Even if it was just that he didn't want to leave Santa Carla, he hadn't reacted to the idea of her visiting again either. There was only one logical reason for his silence, and suddenly Catriona began to feel like an idiot.

"...Or maybe not," she murmured eventually, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Cat," he sighed, attempting to pull her closer and went to speak again but she cut him off.

"I'm still feeling shitty, I better go to bed. Thanks for, uh, y'know...earlier..." she muttered, pulling out of his grasp and striding towards the doors, ignoring him when he called after her.

* * *

 **A/N: Poor Cat...and poor Paul. As always, thank you guys so much for the lovely reviews. I can't believe there's nearly 50 of them, and just over 50 followers! I'm glad so many people are enjoying this, especially since it started off just as an idea to keep myself amused and busy over summer.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Once this main story is finished (there's a while left yet!), I intend to create a new one that will just be a series of Paul/Catriona one-shots (featuring the others too) inspired by prompts that I find online because I'm honestly dreading the end of this story – I'm going to miss writing the characters too much to give them up completely :') The general consensus on when I should update was basically "as soon as possible!" so here, haha. As always, thank you all for the unbelievably lovely feedback.**

* * *

"You're being awfully quiet today," Sophie murmured to Catriona.

They sat cross-legged in the bathroom of the hotel room, Catriona in front of Sophie, facing away from her with a towel around her shoulders whilst her friend applied the dark brown hair dye to her hair. Bryana was asleep in the next room.

"I'm struggling to stay awake," Catriona admitted "Dunno what's up with me lately. I think I'm getting sick."

"You seem sad," Sophie pushed "Normally when I see you lately, you have a little love-sick smile on your face that would've disgusted the old you."

"The old me?"

"High school you."

"High school me was disgusted with life in general," she laughed quietly before sighing "It's complicated."

"Does it have something to do with the fact that you didn't come back the other day?"

"Fucking hell, what are you, my mother?" Catriona teased.

"If I remember your mum correctly, she'd have held your guy at gun point by now," Sophie giggled before turning serious "Seriously though, if you want to talk...Remember in the old days when we told each other everything?"

"In the old days my biggest problem was if I'd left a homework assignment until the night before it was due...Or if somebody insulted my favourite skirt or some shit, I don't know."

"So it's a serious problem then?"

Catriona thought for a few moments. She didn't know if she should tell Sophie about what had happened. There was always the possibility that she'd go and tell Bryana once Catriona was gone, and she didn't exactly want her love life to be the subject of their gossip. But she knew that if she didn't talk to somebody who wasn't a Lost Boy about it, she'd go mad.

"I slept with Paul the other night. That's why I didn't come back - I was out for the count all day afterwards," Catriona shrugged.

"Damn, sounds like he wore you out," Sophie teased "So what's the problem? He wasn't good?"

"No! I mean, yes, he was...Fuck," Catriona groaned " _That's_ not the problem. Last night was just a weird night."

"You don't have to talk about it if you really don't want to."

"I do want to, I just have no idea how to explain any of it. It's an entirely fucked up situation when you view it by the light of day, to be honest."

"Go on."

"He sleeps with me...He calls me his girl and nearly beats the shit out of some kid for bothering me – he genuinely told the poor bastard that if he touched me again, he'd rip his throat out! He insists that I should view the Lost Boys - that's what they call themselves - as brothers and that I'm important to all of them..." she trailed off, biting her lip.

"Sounds like things are getting pretty serious. What's the problem? Is that not what you're after?"

"That's the thing, I thought so too. Then last night I suggested that I study here in California for a while, or that he could come to London to visit and he just said nothing. Literally just stood there silently. I felt so stupid. I mean, the only reason he wouldn't say anything is if he'd feel too bad to say no, right? Then the only reason he'd say no was if...well...if he didn't want to see me again after we leave."

"Maybe he was embarrassed. What if he can't afford to visit London? It's an expensive city, Kit Kat."

"But then why would he not want me to come study here? That's like, minimum effort for him," she didn't add that money never seemed to be an issue for the Lost Boys, because after the pick-pocketing incident a few nights ago, she had quite a good idea of what their source of income was and she didn't want to get them in trouble by outing them.

"What did you do when he didn't say anything?"

"I walked away," she admitted quietly "I felt like an idiot."

"What, and he just left? He didn't go after you?"

"We were here at the time, outside on the beach. He called after me once, I ignored him and shut the door behind me. It was like half an hour before I heard him leave."

"Well he obviously cares if he stuck around for a while. Maybe he was hoping you'd go back outside."

"Maybe."

"I know what a fling looks like. You two aren't one," Sophie spoke with such conviction, Catriona could only hope that she was right.

* * *

"Go on back, I need to make some phone calls," Catriona gestured to the phone box they'd stopped at.

After Catriona's hair had been rinsed and dried, Sophie had suggested that they grab lunch on the boardwalk. Bryana was nowhere to be found, off on some date with a Surf Nazi and Catriona wasn't hypocritical enough to comment on it. After all, she'd done the same with Paul.

"You sure? What if the kid from last night starts harassing you again?" Sophie bit her lip, looking up and down the boardwalk as though Edgar was waiting to leap out from behind a corner and attack.

"After last night, I doubt it," Catriona snorted, not wanting to admit how scary the Lost Boys had truly been in that moment.

She'd made a mental note to never get on their bad side after that.

"You sure you don't want to use the phone at the hotel room?"

"And rack up the bill on Bryana's card even more? She'd have an aneurysm."

"Touché. I'll see you later."

With that, Sophie set off back to the hotel and Catriona stepped into the phonebox, wincing at the fluorescent lighting. Her head had been pounding all damn day, she'd felt like an asshole sitting in the diner with Sophie wearing a pair of sunglasses, but it was better than dealing with the light shining in her eyes. It was lessening now, the sun had set only moments ago, but the artificial lighting in the booth was threatening to set off another headache. She'd barely even managed to eat anything at lunch, picking at her grilled cheese with a grimace as pain shot through her abdomen. Catriona didn't even want to address the fact that whilst the sight of her own food and made her feel nauseous, the sight of the burger that Sophie had ordered was utterly mouthwatering. Vegetarian since she was nine, she couldn't remember the last time she'd found the sight of meat appealing, so why now?

With a groan, she dialled her mother's phone number, knowing the headache would soon be worse. Her mum was always very protective, and so she'd insisted that Catriona call her every other day once she got to Santa Carla. Of course, Catriona had found herself distracted since she'd arrived, but she knew her mum wouldn't see that as a reasonable excuse. Being abducted by aliens wouldn't have even been a reasonable excuse as far as her mother was concerned.

"Hello?"

Catriona smiled at her mum's voice, despite herself. As overbearing as she was, she'd missed her.

"Hey mum, it's me."

"That's odd...this sounds like my daughter, but it couldn't be. _My_ daughter promised to call me every other day, and seeing as she didn't I mean, she must be missing or something. Missing people don't make phone calls."

"Very funny," Catriona sighed "I've been busy. Isn't this what kids my age are supposed to do? Go out and see the world, completely disregarding the feelings of their parents?"

"Nice try, baby. Your brother mentioned you've made some friends, so at least I know you're having fun."

"I have."

"Tell me about them."

"Well...um...what do you want to know?" she winced, knowing that the second her mother found out her new friends were all boys, Jamie would be told...and then Jamie would hit the roof.

"Their names, for a start."

Catriona knew at that point she had two options - lie and make up girls names, which her mother would definitely see through, or tell the truth and endure a lecture on safety.

"Okay...so..." she gave a wince before forcing the words out "There's David...and there's Marko...then Dwayne...and Paul."

She was almost tempted to throw in a few girls names for good measure, but she knew lying would make things worse. Instead, Catriona stood in silence, phone wedged between her shoulder and ear, feeling like a child who'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"And have Sophie and Bryana been hanging out with these boys too?"

"...Not exactly."

"Well that's a stupid move," her mother sighed.

"They're really nice, mum," Catriona insisted "Gentlemen, even."

Okay, so that was a push, but what her mother didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"None of them have tried it on?"

She could practically hear her mother's eyebrows raising. Catriona said nothing.

"Oh, Christ," her mum sighed "Come on, Catty. Tell me everything."

"It's not how you think it is!" Catriona insisted, biting her lip and pushing her sunglasses further up her nose "It's...uh...Well it's complicated."

" _Mo Chreach,_ Catriona! I thought I'd been lucky enough to miss all of this boy drama when you were a teenager! I didn't realise you were saving it until now," her mother's voice was exasperated, but there was a teasing tone to it "So what, you've got four of them now to make up for lost time?"

"Ma!" Catriona protested, Scottish drawl coming out "I'm not sleeping with all of them!"

The line was silent and Catriona realised her mistake seconds too late.

"...So you're sleeping with one of them?" her mum's voice was deadly serious now "Jesus Christ, Catriona. What's going on over there? Do you love this guy? Does he love you? Is it serious? You've only been there a week! Please tell me you're being safe. Are you being safe? Tell me about him."

"What question do you want answered first?" she asked, laughing nervously.

"Pick one," her mother wasn't laughing along.

"He's, uh...well..He's blond?" she offered.

"Wow, that tells me a lot."

"He drives a motorbike," she tried again and winced at her mother's groan.

This wasn't going how she'd intended, but really, how would one even begin to describe Paul, or the Lost Boys in general for that matter? They were a "you have to see it to believe it" kind of deal.

"He, uh, he's really sweet?" she tried again, but her mother wasn't buying it at this point.

"I thought you were meant to be the clever one, Catriona," she sighed "You know what these kinds of boys are like! Let me guess, he's in a band, too?"

"No," Catriona sighed, rolling her eyes "Ma, I know how it sounds - I do! But-"

"I just think you need a dose of reality," her mother pushed "I know when you're on holiday it's easy to-"

Her mum continued, but Catriona had stopped listening, her attention was now fixed on the topic of their conversation who she'd just spotted sauntering down the boardwalk. She bit her lip, feeling bad about what had happened the previous night. Perhaps she should've given him a chance to talk to her, but she'd been caught up in her own embarrassment and hurt.

"Uh-huh," she mumbled into the phone to keep her mother placated, her eyes still fixed on Paul.

He was scanning the boardwalk. Was he looking for her? He wouldn't be able to spot her now, not since she'd gotten rid of the garish red hair.

"Mum I need to-" she began to wrap up the conversation but then stopped.

Paul was making his way towards a blonde girl around her age, a charming smile on his face. She removed the phone from between her ear and shoulder, moving it so that she was holding it to her side, barely able to hear her mum asking if she was still there.

"No," she breathed, unable to believe her eyes.

The girl was smiling at him now, and then laughed at something he said. Catriona couldn't tear her eyes from the two, ignoring the pain shooting through her abdomen and the way her heart was pounding. She had to be misinterpreting what she was seeing. It couldn't be what she thought it was, there was no way. He wouldn't do that. He _couldn't_ do that. Any hope was shattered when he leant in and whispered something in the girl's ear, a sleazy smirk on his face. A lump formed in her throat and her eyes burned as she watched the girl laugh and nod before the two left the boardwalk, heading for secluded dark area underneath the pier, his arm slung over her shoulders.

"Ma, I need to go," she brought the phone to her ear and then hung up with no further explanation.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to lose her shit, scream and smash the glass walls surrounding her. She wanted to kick that son of a bitch right where it would hurt. Before she could act on any of these instincts, she jumped when an impatient knocking sounded on the door behind her - apparently somebody else had been waiting to use the phone.

Catriona strode from the booth, not bothering to apologise to the middle aged woman she nearly knocked over on her way out. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there.

* * *

 **A/N: And so, the real drama begins and things go from bad to worse for our poor couple.  
** _ **Mo Chreach**_ **translates roughly to "dear me!" or "good heavens!" - oh, and a few chapters ago when Catriona spoke Gàidhlig to her brother, she told him to kiss her ass x)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: The site is being odd when it comes to letting me reply to some reviews/sometimes I'll get an email with a review but then it won't even show up in the actual review section, so I figured I'll just answer the ones that need answers here :)**

 **Psyclon – Thank you so much! Marko is definitely the most underrated Lost Boy, it's a shame! I do intend to work him into this story a tad more, though. Haa, Paul and Catriona's relationship is definitely in for some hard times, but I mean, he does deserve it. It's one of the biggest issues I've had with writing this story, though. I want them to be together, but Cat's definitely not the sort to be like "ha, oh well, it's okay! Shit happens!" and forgive him right off the bat :')**

* * *

Three hours later, Catriona sat on her bed in the hotel room in the middle of a circle of papers, cash, bank cards and travel documents, with the hotel room phone sitting in front of her - she'd pay Bryana back for the bill. Luckily, the room had been empty when she'd gotten back. She had no idea where Sophie and Bryana were, but she didn't care. If anything, she was grateful. It had allowed her time to cry before she collected herself and settled on a course of action. All that was left was embarrassment, regret and rage. She'd been such an idiot. Everything that had happened in the past week was now being viewed in a new light - Paul's undeterred interest in her, the Frog brother's warnings, their conversation the previous night. She'd fallen for it all, hook, line and sinker. Looking back on all of it, she wondered how she'd even managed to be so gullible.

Part of her knew that choosing to leave Santa Carla was early was a dramatic move, but really, what did she have left there now that she'd discovered all of it had been one big lie? Sure, she'd patched things up with Sophie, but it didn't mean she wanted to spend her nights with her and Bryana again, and she sure as hell wasn't going near any of the Lost Boys. Her only other options would be to either spend the nights alone on the boardwalk, where running into the Lost Boys was a certainty, or in the hotel room, which would bore her to death. No, she'd rather go home and spend time with her family before returning to university and pretending none of it had ever happened.

She leafed through the phone book she'd lifted from the hotel's reception and studied the list in front of her once more - on it was scrawled how much it'd cost her to get a bus to the airport the next morning, how much money she had on her and how much money she'd have left afterwards. The whole process was making her feel even more ill. Adjusting the sunglasses once more, she began to dial the number of the airport once she'd found it.

It was then that the glass doors opened and Catriona froze. She'd forgotten to lock them. For a brief moment she hoped it would just be Bryana or Sophie, but she knew she wasn't that lucky before she even saw Paul enter the room. Quickly, she pressed dial and lifted the phone to her ear, tensing as he surveyed the scene before him. Before he could ask her what was going on, a voice was speaking at the other end.

"Hello, yeah, I was wondering if it'd be possible to do some kind of exchange with my flight tickets?" she ran a hand through her hair before rattling off her flight information when the woman asked for it.

The woman on the other end was responding, but she was more aware of the grin that spread on Paul's face.

"You're staying longer?" he exclaimed, moving to sit on the other bed.

Catriona ignored his question.

"What? No, no, I don't want a refund or anything, I just want to return my tickets for the flight going out to London on the eleventh and get another ticket for another flight instead, yeah? Is that possible?"

"It's possible, ma'am, but there's a reissue fee that applies."

"How much?" she did her best not to groan.

"That depends on what flight you'd like to change to."

Catriona tensed again. She was hoping to slip away in the morning, no conflict, no nothing, but she knew her next sentence was going to raise hell when Paul heard it.

"Have you got any for tomorrow?"

She didn't look up, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the grin slip from his face.

"What?" his voice was quiet and she hated how his hurt tone affected her.

"We do, ma'am, departing at twelve pm, that would be seven hundred dollars."

" _Seven hundred dollars_?" Catriona repeated, her voice raising "Seriously?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the woman didn't sound very sorry "It's because the flight is so soon and it's an international one. If you want to leave at a later date-"

"No, no...It's..." she sighed "It's fine. Look, can I call you back? I need to make some other calls. Great, thanks, bye."

She hung up the phone and immediately picked it up again, ignoring Paul's protests.

"Hello?" her brother's voice was groggy when he answered.

"Jamie, hi, look I need a really big favour, no questions asked."

"What's wrong?" his voice was alert now.

"I need cash. £450. I'm good for it, I have money hidden away in a shoebox back home for emergencies and I can pay you back the second I get home, I just need you to put the money in my acco-"

The phone was torn from her grasp, Paul now stood beside her, holding it behind his back, out of her reach.

"Give me the phone, Paul," she had tried to make her voice cold and uninterested, but instead it shook.

"Not til you tell me what the hell's going on here! Why are you leaving?!" it was the first time she'd ever heard him raise his voice in anger.

"Give me the phone!" she tried to lunge forward to grab it from him, but yet another pain flared up in her abdomen, worse than the others, and she folded in two, clutching at her stomach with a groan of pain.

Paul hung up the phone and immediately moved towards her, reaching out to try and pull her towards him.

"Don't. Fucking. Touch. Me," she ground out before cursing.

"You gotta let me in on what the hell I did to piss you off!" he yelled and she jumped and then winced when it only worsened the pain "Was it what happened last night?"

The pain was slowly beginning to let up and she warily moved back to how she was sitting before, breathing heavily. What the hell was going on with her?!

"Where were you three hours ago?" she asked quietly, removing her sunglasses so she could look him directly in the eye.

He started when he saw the red circles around her eyes and moved to try and touch her again but she jumped back, causing some of the papers that had been around her to fall to the floor.

"I was getting a bite to eat before I came to find you!" he insisted "Then I-"

"Stop lying!" she demanded, temper flaring "I saw you! Just as I'm on the phone to my mother - my fucking _mother -_ insisting that the guy I met whilst I was here was sweet and really just an all-round good guy, I see you picking up some random girl. I mean, fuck, I feel sorry for her because this is how the girl before me must have felt, right?"

"Oh, shit," he breathed, closing his eyes and sighing "Babe, it really wasn't-"

"I mean, it all makes sense now, doesn't it? You've got a stream of tourists coming through here every damn week so you just take your pick and then move on after they sleep with you. The kids from last night even tried to warn me, said you've 'targeted other girls', but I believed you instead! I have to hand it to you, Paul, you're a fucking great liar."

"You need to liste-"

"I'm done listening to you!" her voice broke and she stopped and took in a deep breath before continuing, hating how he had the gall to actually pretend to be distressed when he saw how upset she was "Do you have _any_ idea how stupid I feel right now? That whole 'sunlight gives me headaches' bullshit? So I'm guessing you have another girl that you see during the day, right? Then there's the whole 'don't underestimate how much we all like you' bullshit that you fed me last night! I mean, fuck, that's just _cruel_. All this time I've actually been enjoying myself and hating the idea of leaving and you've all just been laughing at me! I bet you had a grand old laugh last night when I considered _moving_ here!"

"Catriona _please_ , just come to the cave and we'll explain everything," he went to take a step towards her again, and she moved off the bed, standing on the other side so that it was between them.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she snorted "I'm going to sort this mess out and twenty four hours from now, I'll be home and I can pretend none of this ever happened."

"This isn't how it was meant to happen," he groaned, hand running through his hair "I can't explain this shit alone, Cat! David would know what to say!"

She stared at him incredulously, trying to ignore the ache in her chest and the lump in her throat.

"What, you need David to tell your lies?"

"Look," he sighed eventually, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a wad of cash, dropping it on the bed "There's gotta be enough for a plane ticket there. Hear me out and if you don't like what you hear, it's yours and you can go."

Biting the inside of her cheek, she looked at the money and then back to Paul. Then she reached for her shoes.

* * *

They walked in silence for a few minutes until they reached the trees where the beach met the woods. Paul stopped, leaned against one and watched her thoughtfully. Catriona was just beginning to feel uncomfortable when he finally spoke.

"Do you believe in mythical creatures?"

She stared at him, dumbfounded "Are you really going to-"

"Hey, worst case scenario here, you get the best half of a thousand dollars to talk about this," he urged.

"What kind of mythical creatures?" she asked, exasperated.

"Any of 'em. Ghosts, werewolves, vampires..."

"Ghosts, yes. Werewolves, no. Vampires? Probably not. How is this relevant?"

He went to talk but then sighed and shook his head "I honestly don't know how to say this."

"With words is probably best."

"Probably not," he snorted humourlessly "You won't believe me."

"What, do you consider yourself a mythical creature? Are you trying to tell me you're a mermaid?" she rolled her eyes and then frowned when he avoided her gaze "Look, if you've not got any real kind of explanation, I'm out of-"

"Think of all the weird shit you've noticed about me," he pushed, moving in front of her so she couldn't walk away "Piece it together, Cat."

"You live in a cave, I never see you during the day, three hours ago-"

"Not that!" his frustration was clear now "This is why I wanted David here! I can't do this!"

"Try!" she closed her eyes in exasperation, and then opened them again to look at him.

That's when Catriona froze. She stared at Paul and a pair of strikingly familiar amber eyes stared back at her. The eyes from her nightmare the other night. She stumbled backwards, trying and failing to comprehend the sight before her. His facial structure had changed, his cheekbones higher and brow more prominent. Slowly her gaze trailed down to the two sharp fangs visible between his parted lips.

"Oh...fuck..." she breathed, blood running cold.

She had to be seeing things. This couldn't real. None of it made any sense, but then again, all of it made too much sense. Everything she'd frowned at and everything that had confused her about the Lost Boys previously was now slowly slipping into place. All of their inside jokes, every odd comment that she hadn't understood. She felt sick. She'd been hanging out with _vampires_ all week?! She'd slept with a- Her breath hitched at the realisation and she soon found it was taking all of her energy just to stay upright.

"I dunno what you dreamt about the other night, but I'm willing to bet it wasn't no dream," he admitted quietly, face slowly morphing back to normal.

Catriona stood, frozen to the spot, still staring at him wordlessly even though her mind was reeling. Her nightmare hadn't been a conventional bad dream so much as a blur of images and sensations. Paul's voice mumbling something she barely heard, a sharp, intense pain in her neck, the feeling of her limbs going heavy and cold as she grew more and more confused...and then something warm and coppery against her lips, with a voice urging her to drink.

Catriona opened her mouth to form some kind of coherent sentence, but the words wouldn't come, her vision was beginning to blur and she could barely breathe. Suddenly the ground was rushing up to meet her and the world was turning black.

* * *

 **A/N: I really had no idea how to have Paul break the news to her, but I figured Paul would have no idea either. I hope you guys enjoyed! Reviews always put a smile on my face :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm not sure when the next update will be as I have prom tonight, but this is a long (the longest update yet, I think!) and important one, so that hopefully makes up for it! As always, thanks so much to those who reviewed, it's a lovely reassurance that I'm doing a half decent job :')**

* * *

When Catriona woke up, she didn't have the luxury of having forgotten what had happened before she passed out. Immediately she went to sit up, but was stopped.

"Don't sit up 'til you're ready," a voice spoke beside her, pushing her shoulder back down onto the mattress.

She frowned. Mattress? Had Paul carried her back to the hotel room? Slowly she managed to open her eyes, blinking a few times before her vision came into focus. Dwayne was crouching beside her, eyeing her warily as though he expected her to start screaming. Slowly, she looked around and then sat up.

"How did I get here?"

She was in the alcove in the Lost Cave, the curtains pulled to aside so that it was well lit.

"Paul carried you. Do you remember what happened before you blacked out?"

He seemed to think she didn't - after all, most people would be screaming and crying in her situation.

"Yeah," she responded grimly "I remember everything. How did he carry me all that way?"

"He...uh...he flew," Dwayne seemed worried that this new piece of information would set her off, but Catriona felt numb to all of it.

"Of course he did," she'd heard it all now.

"You feel okay to get up?"

She nodded and accepted his help to stand, her legs feeling weak – she knew she probably resembled Bambi on ice by just trying to walk towards the couches.

"Where's Paul?" she asked, following him out of the alcove where David and Marko sat in wait.

"Seems he's a bit, uh, _temperamental_ when it comes to you," David seemed amused at this "Of course, you saw that last night. He went to go calm down. Was freakin' out real bad when he brought you here."

Slowly, Catriona lowered herself to the couch opposite the chair David sat on. Dwayne joined her, but put some space between them and Marko stood, lingering to her left. They were treating her like a timebomb, ready to blow up at any minute. Except David, of course. He seemed amused by the entire situation.

"So," he began as though he were beginning some kind of official meeting "Now you know what we are...and now you know what you are. I'm guessing you have questions."

He offered her a joint and she accepted it gratefully, hands shaking so much that she struggled to light the damn thing. It felt like there was a weight on her chest trying to prevent her from breathing.

"I was out in the sun today," she spoke after a while.

"You haven't fed yet, so you're only half vampire right now - the sun'll make you tired, but it won't kill you."

"And this is all why I've been feeling so shitty?"

None of it felt real to Catriona. Her brain was slowly piecing all of it together, but it felt like some kind of game or movie. Like she was just watching it all happen to somebody else.

"Half of the shittiness will be the change, other half is because you haven't fed," David gestured towards Marko who moved across the cave, returning with a jewel encrusted bottle which he handed to her "That'll help for now."

"What is is?" she studied the crimson liquid in the bottle, feeling like she already knew the answer.

"You know what it is," David said simply "It's not Paul's, which would be more helpful to you seeing as he's the one who turned you, but, well, he ain't here."

Catriona grimaced and handed the bottle back to Marko, feeling nauseous at the sight of the blood sloshing around inside. As if summoned, Paul chose that moment to return, all eyes moving to him when his boots sounded at the entrance of the cave. His eyes widened when he spotted her sitting on the couch, but he only took a few unsure steps towards her, as though wondering if she'd panic. Part of Catriona wanted to freak out. She wanted to scream and throw things and ask them what they'd done to her, but she just felt too numb. Paul's presence was the only comforting thing in that moment, and the last thing she wanted him to do was leave. She resolved to be mad at at him when she didn't feel like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He took another step forward and Catriona nodded reluctantly, in an attempt to reassure him that she wasn't going to flip.

As soon as she nodded, he was by her side, sitting between her and Dwayne, but still frustratingly unsure of how to act around her. She leant into him with a sigh, not even knowing how to make sense of the situation she'd found herself in.

"Can somebody just explain...well... _everything_?" she asked eventually, her tone frustrated, hating the silence in the cave.

"Depends what you mean by everything," David answered, apparently being the authority on briefing new vampires "The dos and don'ts of being a vampire?"

The rest laughed quietly at this.

"Why me?" she asked bluntly "Why choose me to become one of you instead of choosing me to become dinner?"

"You nearly were dinner," David shrugged "Paul saved your life. If it wasn't for him, you'd have been dead the night you arrived in Santa Carla."

Tearing her gaze from David, she stared at Paul, wide-eyed. He said nothing and avoided her gaze, clearly uncomfortable with the seriousness of the discussion, but he did take her free hand and bring the back of it it to his lips. This did nothing to stop her shaking.

"Why?"

"You believe in soulmates, Cat?" David asked, leaning back in his chair.

"What does that have to do with anythi-" she stopped herself and took in a deep breath – it would be easier to just go along with it "...I'd never been interested in any of that before I came here."

"Not surprising. We've never really gave much of a shit about the theory either, but we had an... _associate_ who was very interested in it."

"Where is this associate now?"

"Got killed a few years ago," David's voice was grim before he sighed "But that's irrelevant. He was real interested in the idea because of the way some vampires were drawn to each other upon meeting. His theory was that everybody has a soulmate, mortals _and_ vampires, but time means nothing to the souls, so somebody who was born in, say, 1945 might never meet their soulmate because that person was born and died in the 1600s, you follow? Or they might be on different sides of the world or whatever. So even though everybody has one, they're not guaranteed to meet them. In fact, odds are they won't due to time and location getting in the way. Doesn't mean they won't be in a happy relationship, just means they're not at their happiest."

Catriona nodded, taking a few moments to wrap her head around the idea "That's...sad, I guess."

"Not for you," David smirked "See, vampires, being immortal and all, have a greater chance of finding their soulmates because time doesn't matter - although odds are they still won't because they could be anywhere in the world, doing anything...or they could've still been born and died before them. Max's theory was that, fitting this, vampires are automatically more aware of their soulmates - another perk to balance out the whole no sunlight deal. For humans it's more of a case of meeting and just seeming to click instantly - you know when you meet somebody for the first time but you feel like you've known them for years? It's more obvious for vampires. We pretty much know upon first sight. Ever wonder why you trusted Paul so much from the first night you met him?"

He paused to see if she was still following everything he was saying and Catriona gave a small nod. She refrained from pointing out that trusting Paul hadn't been the wisest decision. For now, she wanted answers and not conflict.

"So, last week we were hanging around the beach, looking for dinner...and we happened upon you. We were all ready to attack, but imagine our surprise when Paul tells us you're off limits," David smirked glancing between the two of them with an amused expression on his face "You see what I'm getting at here?"

Catriona nodded again, unable to form any kind of verbal response, although her eyes flickered back to Paul again.

"If it were up to me you'd have been one of us the first time you came here - there's a quicker way than the one Paul chose. Drink blood from the bottle and bam, done, easy. The traditional way though, for lovers that is, is for the human one of the pair to be drained after the first time they have sex with the vampire, then they're given blood from the vampire's wrist and the deal is sealed. It's meant to bring them closer. I'm guessing you can see why you weren't turned on the first night now."

"What...What happens now?" Catriona asked quietly, struggling to come to terms with all of the information she'd just been given.

"You're one of us now," David shrugged with a smile "Now the good times begin."

"No," she cut in just as the others began to cheer "I mean...My...My family? My home?"

"We're your family now, and this is your home," David sighed as though he was disappointed in her for not understanding "You can't go back, Cat."

She stared at him silently, feeling the colour drain from her face and the joint slipped from her hand. It bounced off of her leg and hit the cave floor, nobody bothered moving to pick it up. When David didn't immediately start laughing and reassuring her that he was kidding, she looked at the other Lost Boys, all who were uncomfortably avoiding her gaze.

"But...I mean..." she spluttered, staring at him "I can still call? Write? My...My family can visit?"

To David's credit, there was a degree of pity in his eyes, but that hardly soothed Catriona.

"For all intents and purposes, you need to disappear," he admitted quietly "It needs to look like you went missing here. Never returned home. Anything else is too messy, too unbelievable."

"No. _No_! That's impossible," she shook her head, struggling to keep her calm "What about Sophie and Bryana? What do I tell them?"

David sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at Paul "You know, this is really your job."

"I can't, man," Paul shook his head, his voice ragged "It's gonna ruin her."

"What's done is done, it's better coming from you," David insisted.

"So, what," Catriona cut in, her voice becoming high pitched "You haven't even told me the bad part yet?"

Paul turned to her, finally looking her in the eyes, but she didn't like the look on his face. He looked _scared_ to tell her whatever she wasn't grasping.

"Your friends can't go back either, Cat...and they can't become one of us," he spoke slowly, staring at her searchingly to see if she saw what he was getting at.

"No," she shook her head, stumbling to her feet, pulling her hand from his grasp and Marko had to reach out to steady her "Paul, _no._ "

"They know our names, they know our faces. Even if you play it off as staying an extra week and get them to leave without you, when you then go 'missing', they're the first ones the cops would go to and they'd point the cops to us," David took over again, his expression grim.

Catriona could hear her heart pounding in her head and she was struggling to breathe, all of her effort going into simply _not_ hyperventilating.

"The police in Santa Carla are shit," she protested "They're buried under missing person cases. It'd never be investigated."

It dawned on Catriona that the Lost Boys were the reason for that, but she shook her head before continuing.

"Even if they did point the police towards you, it probably wouldn't even be followed up on! David _please_ , they're harmless!"

"It's too risky," David shook his head "I'm sorry, Cat. This is the best set-up we've had in decades, we can't risk it."

"What if we scare them? Threaten them into not saying anything? Even if they do, nobody's going to believe them if they run back to the UK shouting about _vampires_!"

"Nobody official, maybe, but that's the sort of shit that gets media attention. We'll get camera crews, journalists and the curious flocking to Santa Carla, all of whom would be able to recognise you. Christ, we'd probably even get hunters. It makes things difficult. This is about survival, Cat."

"Obviously not theirs," she choked out, putting a hand on the back of the sofa to steady herself.

"They treat you like shit," David pointed out.

"It doesn't mean I want them dead!" tears sprang to her eyes now as her voice rose into a shout and cracked "I told my mum about you guys on the phone today - should I kill her too?"

Her tone was sarcastic, but none of them were seeing her point.

"When are you meant to leave next week?" David sighed.

"Ten at night."

"You can call her, say you're getting into a cab to take you to the airport. That way they'll think you got taken from there," David paused and eyed her, noting how pale she was going "You're weak, Cat – physically, that is. You need to feed, and soon. This needs to happen tomorrow night."

"You want _me_ to kill them?" she stared at him incredulously, tears spilling and rolling down her cheeks now, horror filling her.

"You need to feed, they need to be taken care of. Two birds, one stone."

A sob escaped Catriona's lips and she clamped a hand over her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face. They wanted her to never see her family again. They wanted her to be a _murderer._ Immediately Paul was at her side, wrapping his arms around her.

"Nice, man. Real sensitive," he grumbled towards David.

"Hey, somebody had to tell her and you wouldn't," David shrugged, unfazed "My heart goes out to her, really, it does, but that's the way it is."

"I could go back to Scotland for a week, see my family and stuff and then come back alone and stay. They'd think I'd gone back to England for university - for all they knew, I'd have gone missing in London. They'll be looking in the totally wrong place and nobody has to die," she was becoming more frantic now, trying to think of anything at all that could change David's mind.

"Even if you were able to find a way to get back here untraced, what if you lost it and bit somebody over there? You'd become a full vampire and travelling when you're restricted to the night is tricky. You'd be stuck alone in a different country with nobody to help you or show you the ropes. You'd be separated from Paul. How could we even trust you to come back here and not run to the police? There are too many risks, Cat," David was being surprisingly patient with her, and Paul's arms tightened around her at the mention of his name "If there was a different way, we'd take it, but there's not."

Before David had even finished his reasoning, Catriona's arguments had been reduced to weeping, Paul being the only thing keeping her upright as she buried her face in his chest.

"Come on, babe," he sighed softly, guiding her over to the alcove and closing the curtains behind them.

"Well that went well," she heard Marko mutter quietly a few moments later.

* * *

Paul carefully lowered them both down to the mattress before unwrapping his arms from around her and moving to take off her boots for her.

"I'm gonna go get something more comfortable for you to wear, okay babe?" his voice was shaky and he clearly had no idea how to handle the situation, but she didn't have the energy to appreciate his efforts - this whole situation was his fault.

Nodding through her tears, Catriona pulled her knees to her chin when Paul slipped from the curtains. She could hear him muttering curses under his breath and the voices of the others.

"What the fuck am I going to do?!" she mouthed to herself, not wanting to risk actually making a sound in case the Lost Boys had some kind of superior hearing, being vampires.

However, she soon found that that was a question to be addressed later. All she was capable of doing at that time was crying, and she hated herself for it. Her chest ached and her eyes were burning but she couldn't stop. She was never going to see her family again. She'd be able to talk to them one more time and then that was it. Never again for the rest of her life - which could be hundreds upon hundreds of years. No more hugs from her mother and no more playful banter with Jamie. Her thoughts turned to Bryana and Sophie and her sobbing only increased.

Paul returned with a pair of boxers and an Aerosmith t-shirt that looked like it had seen better days - she assumed both were his. He helped her change silently, her hands were shaking too badly to even undo her belt. Once she had changed, he sat on the bed with his legs spread, pulling her between them so that her back was leaning against his chest. Catriona didn't understand why he was taking off his bracelets from his left arm until he lifted his wrist to his lips and bit down hard, not stopping until he drew blood.

"It'll help," he offered quietly.

She stared at his wrist as he held it in front of her, blood dripping down onto her legs. Part of her felt like a junkie who'd just scored, it was taking all of her willpower not to latch onto his wrist and drink, but the rest of her was horrified by that very reaction. She wanted to _drink_ his _blood._ That wasn't normal behaviour! That was down right twisted!

"Don't be ashamed or nothin'," he encouraged softly, resting his chin on her shoulder "It's normal."

Catriona barely heard his reassurances, all of her attention focused on the blood pooling around the fresh wound. Before she knew what was doing, her lips were attached to his wrist and she was drinking greedily, only half aware of the groan that Paul gave once she started. The feeling was euphoric - better than any weed she'd smoked, that was for sure - and for a few seconds, nothing was wrong with the world and she felt amazing.

It ended all too quickly.

Gently, Paul pulled his wrist from her mouth after a few minutes and wrapped the corner of one of the blankets around it to stem the bleeding so that it would heal. Catriona ran her tongue over her teeth, nearly jumping when she felt two prominent fangs on either side of her incisors. She slowly brought her fingertips up to her face and felt the way her cheekbones stuck out. No doubt her eyes would be the same shade of amber that Paul's had been earlier. Gradually, her rational thinking returned to her, and as that returned the fangs retreated and she felt her face return to normal. It was a strange feeling - not painful, just odd.

Paul had been right, the blood had helped. She was no longer hysterical and she could actually breathe and think, although she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to be able to think. Her tears were gone, but the dread and the sorrow remained.

However, that wasn't the only effect his blood had had on her. Her chest was heaving and her cheeks were flushed, and although she'd never admit it, she was dying to feel his teeth against her neck. If it hadn't been for the events of that night, she'd have jumped his bones then and there. Judging by what she felt pressing against her lower back, Paul was feeling the same.

"Ah, shit," he hissed when he realised, scrambling back from her "Babe, it's not...I mean, I'm not trying to...I can't help it-"

"I know," she sighed "Trust me, I know."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Paul staring at her as though he was waiting for her to talk now that she was coherent.

"You know, I was less upset when I thought you were cheating on me," she murmured blankly.

"I'm sorry, Catriona. I'm so fucking sorry."

It was the first time she could remember hearing Paul say her full name, and he did seem genuinely remorseful, his voice full of sorrow, but she couldn't bring herself to feel bad for him. She had a feeling he was more sorry for her reaction than for turning her, and she certainly didn't doubt that he'd do it all again. What she hated the most was the fact that she didn't have it in her to cut him off. To refuse to speak to him ever again. She wanted to, but she couldn't do it.

"I don't hate you," she forced out eventually, taking in a deep breath "Fuck, I want to, but I don't know if I _can_ hate you because of whatever...whatever it is between us. This soulmate shit that David was talking about. I mean, Christ, it's funny that the person who caused all this is now pretty much all I have left."

She gave a humourless, bitter laugh and Paul stared at her, stunned and clearly unsure of how he was meant to react to this, but Catriona continued before he could respond.

"But I don't think I can ever forgive you. Not for this."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope Catriona's reaction was reasonable – the last thing I wanted to do was just write a chapter full of her screaming hysterically, but on the other hand I didn't want it to just be "ah okay cool, looks like I'm a vampire now!". She was so calm in the beginning because, other than the fact that she was pretty much in shock, she figured they can't mean her too much harm seeing as Paul bit her – so she knows she's not dinner. She assumed that the whole being a vampire thing would just fit into her normal life, somehow. That's why she only starts to panic when she's told otherwise – that she can't see her family again etc.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I'm pretty blown away by the response to the last chapter :') thank you all so much! I got the emails about the reviews whilst I was at my prom, hah, so they made the night even better. I can't believe it's at chapter 20 already - this is pretty much the only fic I've ever stuck with this long, and I've still got no intention of stopping.**

* * *

Once they returned to sit with the others, Catriona sat on one of the couches. She'd retrieved the joint she'd dropped earlier, holding that in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other, barely aware of the Lost Boys' conversations. Every so often, one of them would nudge her or pat her on the shoulder, subtly checking up on her. She'd give a distracted nod in response and go back to her whiskey and her thoughts. Paul was the only one not to check up on her. Ever since their conversation in the alcove, he'd acted like she'd burn him if he got too close.

By the time it reached 2am - she'd taken to wearing a watch every day, seeing as the cave had a frustrating lack of clocks - she was ready to leave.

"David," her voice sounded weird even to her own ears "Give me a ride back? I need to talk to you."

She couldn't bring herself to look at Paul - she knew he'd be taking her request all too personally, but she didn't want to talk to David with all of the others around.

David eyed her thoughtfully for a moment, and she didn't miss the way that his eyes flickered to Paul, but then he nodded with a quiet "Sure."

Once he had agreed, she got up and moved to the alcove to change back into her jeans without another word and they left moments later.

"She hates me," were the only words Paul spoke once the sound of David's bike faded away.

"She doesn't hate you, she's processing," Dwayne sighed whilst Marko clamped a sympathetic hand down on Paul's shoulder.

"She won't even look at me!"

"The girl's practically catatonic, and who can blame her? We all had lives we actually wanted to get away from before we were turned. She's leaving a lot behind."

"Chick's got a lot on her plate," Marko agreed with a shrug "It was always going to be tough, no matter how you went about it."

"So what do I do, man?"

"You show her it's worth it! You do everything you can to make her happy. The chick's sentimental - she's not going to view her family as a fair trade for immortality. If you start pulling away now, she'll feel alone and then Christ knows what she'll do. You can't keep acting the way you did tonight - not even going near her and shit."

Paul stared at Dwayne, surprised at the depth of his advice before sighing and shaking his head "I dunno."

"Trust me, brother. Soon she'll even forget she had a life before this one," Dwayne seemed so sure that what he was saying was true, Paul could only hope he was right.

* * *

"What if I don't do it?" if Catriona knew it would've taken a lot of guts to ask David that, had she not felt so numb.

He followed her off of his bike and matched her slow, ambling pace down the beach.

"Do what?" David tilted his head.

"What if I don't kill them?" she ground out - she knew he knew full well what she'd meant and had no time for games or beating around the bush.

He gave a sigh "Cat..."

"I haven't said I'm not doing it," she pushed, although she knew that was exactly what she was suggesting "I just want to know what happens if I refuse."

"If you refuse, I'll do it," he shrugged.

"But let me guess. You'll do it slowly."

"You're catching on."

She snorted "Yeah. Just why is it that you're so hell bent on me doing it? What if I asked you to kill one of the others?"

"That's different. Don't pretend otherwise," he said sharply "They're my brothers and I've known them longer than you've been alive. Hell, longer than your grandparents have been alive. I don't like the situation either, but it needs to be done so there ain't no point in getting all sentimental about it, is there?"

David sighed and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his coat, offering it to her and raising an eyebrow when she accepted.

"Can't kill me, right?" she muttered, thanking him when he held the lighter to her lips.

"Do you think I get off on this, Cat?" he asked, tone not biting but genuinely curious as he lit his own cigarette.

"I'd like to think not," she replied "If that's what I thought, I wouldn't ask."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he chuckled "I got two reasons. First - once you kill them, you can kill anyone. Feeding on some random Surf Nazi ain't gonna make you feel bad after that. I got a feeling that if we didn't do this, you'd struggle to feed for a while. I'm shortening what would've been a long, tedious problem."

"And the second reason?"

"If you didn't do it and one of us did, it'd create problems."

"Problems? What, like I'll be pissed at whoever does?"

"Are you trying to say you won't be?"

Catriona avoided his gaze. He was right.

"It'll stir up tensions in the group, Cat. We pride ourselves on having minimum friction ninety-five percent of the time. Sleep all day, party all night, no drama. Not only that, you'll regret it."

"What, not killing them?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded "Maybe not right away, but ten or twenty years down the line? That shit'll tear you apart."

"And killing them won't?"

"Not as much as not killing them."

Catriona sighed and ran her free hand through her hair, kicking at the sand beneath her boots.

"For now, look at it this way - act like I'm not giving you any choice. In reality, I'm not giving you much of one anyway. It's hard now, but a few years from now you'll view this as the best decision you ever made. "

"I didn't make it."

"Best decision that was ever made for you, then. Do you have any idea how many people would kill to be in your shoes? Immortality and eternal youth?"

"I'll do what needs done, David. I mean, fuck, I _don't_ have a choice, do I? But I won't like it," there was no conviction behind her words and they both knew it.

"I'm not asking you to."

They walked until they arrived at the hotel doors. It felt like it had been years, not hours, since she'd been sitting on the bed, trying to book a flight out.

"We're placing a lot of trust in you not to do anything stupid during the day," David sighed, his tone not harsh, just tired "I'm not bullshitting when I tell you that if this goes south in any way - if you try to run, if word gets out about vampires, _anything_ \- Paul will be the one who suffers the most. I know you don't want that, regardless of how mad you are at him right now."

Catriona nodded wordlessly. Here she stood, agreeing to murder her friends and she barely even put up a fight. It was mostly because she knew it was futile - she didn't doubt for a second that David would happily kill them if she failed to, and the others would back him up. How could she stand any semblance of a chance all four of the Lost Boys? She couldn't. Still, none of it felt real yet. Her brain wasn't comprehending that all of this was real. That Sophie and Bryana were going to die that night and that she was going to live forever, never to see her family again. It had felt real hours ago when she'd been hysterically sobbing, but since she'd drank Paul's blood, a strange apathy had washed over her. Part of her was sure she'd come up with some kind of solution before the time came, but the more logical part of her brain was telling her it was hopeless.

"You clear on the plan?" David asked, dropping his cigarette butt into the sand and crushing it with his boot.

"Yeah, I am," she nodded, her own cigarette butt joining his "I'll see you tonight."

"Cat?" he called when she was half way through the doors.

She turned around and eyed him warily.

"Word of advice...Stay up to watch the sunrise today...and make sure you don't miss the sunset, either. You'd regret missing that more than you'll ever regret tonight," he was surprisingly sincere before he spun on his heel and made his way back to his bike.

The hotel room was still empty, but then again, Catriona was back a lot earlier than she'd usually be. She was glad, too - it gave her time to clean up all of the travel documents still on the bed, and she knew they'd definitely question the pile of dollars left there by Paul. She shoved all of it into her case and then eyed the phone.

Her brother would be having a heart attack at the way their previous phone call ended, what with Paul's shouting and her groan of pain. No doubt Jamie would be thinking the worst, and she worried what he'd do if she didn't call to reassure him soon. But Catriona didn't know if she could handle a phone call with her brother at that moment. Internally, she was outraged at her own apathy, but it was a hell of a lot better than the alternative.

Once she'd cleared everything off of the bed, she sat in the centre of it, legs crossed and the photo of her and Paul that was taken on New Year's Eve in her lap. She wished she could go back when it was taken. Ignorance was bliss, after all. With a sigh, she threw the photo to the floor beside the bed and buried her face in her hands. Now all she could do was wait and hope against hope.

* * *

 _At the Lost Cave_

"She okay?" Paul asked upon David's return.

"As fine as she could be right now," David shrugged "But...I dunno if she'll do it."

"She said she won't?" Marko questioned from where he sat with a frown.

"Nah, she said she will, but when it comes down to it? I don't know," David sighed "We might need to give her a nudge in the right direction."

"What do you mean?" Paul frowned warily.

"I've got a plan. You're not gonna like it."

* * *

Sophie and Bryana stumbled into the room a few hours later, giggling and holding their heels in their hands. They were visibly surprised to see Catriona there.

"I barely recognised you without your boyfriend attached to your neck," Bryana snorted, dropping her shoes and heading straight towards the bathroom.

"Ignore her," Sophie sighed quietly, no doubt so that Bryana wouldn't hear "Did you work things out with your man?"

"Something like that," Catriona sighed, biting her lip and not knowing if she truly had the will to say the next sentence "Um...I have an idea, though."

"What's up?" Sophie moved to sit on the bed beside her.

"I just...I feel really bad about the past week, the way things have been and everything, you know?" she sighed, ignoring the way her brain was screaming at her to stop.

"Oh, Kit Kat," Sophie sighed drunkenly, wrapping an arm around her "Don't feel bad. Things just...got messy. We're fixing them now though, right?"

"That's just it," Catriona nodded, ignoring the lump building in her throat "I, uh...I talked to the boys tonight and asked them if they'd mind if I invited you and Bryana to hang out with us tomorrow night - they were all for it...That is, if you guys are, of course."

' _Say no, say no, say no,_ ' Catriona chanted in her head, tense as she watched Sophie blink in surprise at the offer.

"Sounds great!" she grinned and Catriona felt like she was going to throw up.

"You're sure?" Catriona tried, willing her to change her mind "I mean, you won't find it awkward or anything?"

"Maybe a bit at first, but it'll be great to get to know these mysterious new men in your life," Sophie teased before standing and moving towards the mirror, reaching for her makeup wipes.

Catriona's last hope was Bryana - something she never thought would happen. If Bryana refused to go along with this, Sophie would too. Maybe it wouldn't save them in the long term, but it would buy Catriona time. Maybe she'd be able to think of something in that time that could help. Bryana left the bathroom a few minutes later, makeup removed and her hair in a bun.

"Hey, Bry, we're partying with Kit Kat tomorrow night," Sophie spoke first, giving Catriona a reassuring smile in the mirror.

"...What?" Bryana blinked in surprise before eyeing Catriona with suspicion "Why? Your boyfriend dump you?"

"He'll be there too, all of the Lost Boys will. I figured we could all, uh, be friends," it sounded like bullshit, even to Catriona's ears, but that was her aim.

"I suppose we can check it out," Bryana sniffed with a shrug.

 _Fuck_.

* * *

 **A/N: Cat hasn't completely given up yet. Then again, David suspects that...I really enjoy writing David, I hope I did a good job! I mean, the movie makes it pretty plain that he's an ass (I mean that in the most affectionate way possible!), but I figured he wouldn't have such a strong bond with the other Lost Boys if that's all there was to him. An old friend of mine had a mother who used to be a roadie for a pretty famous band in LA back in the 80s before they got big and she described their singer as "he was an arse, but if you were on his good side he had a heart of gold" so that's kiiind of how I see David, I suppose?**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thanks so much to those who reviewed! I only reply to the reviews that seem like they require an answer, I worry about annoying people if I'm constantly just messaging them saying "thank you!", so apologies if that's made me seem ungrateful or anything! Catriona's definitely one of my favourite OCs that I've ever created :')**

* * *

Catriona waited until they were asleep before she left the hotel room, hours later. Sophie had opted to share her bed that night, and she couldn't face the idea of sleeping beside her. Even the sound of her light snoring made her feel sick with guilt. Changing her jeans for a pair of shorts, she left the room barefoot.

It was only around six am, but the sky was beginning to lighten, slowly turning periwinkle. Catriona waded into the ocean, stopping once the water reached just below her knees, and simply stared at the sky. As hard as she tried, she couldn't comprehend that this would be the last time she'd witness the sun rise. Or, if she ever did again, the next time she saw it would be the time it killed her. As the sun rose, the cloudless sky was streaked with vibrant shades of violet and magenta, reflected in the ocean. Letting her mind run blissfully blank, Catriona was aware of nothing but how beautiful the sky looked, the cool breeze whipping around her and the icy water lapping at her legs. She was determined to carve all of it into her memory so deeply that she'd never be able to forget it.

She stayed there for an hour, watching the sky slowly turn to it's usual shade of vivid blue and ignoring the way it hurt her eyes. As the night left, so did Catriona's apathy, and by the time she was wading out of the ocean, her mind was buzzing with ways to fix things. Her first thought was to simply leave for the airport then and there - the cash that Paul had left on the bed the previous night was still in her case. Even if she couldn't get on a flight until that night or even the next day, people camped out at the airport all the time, and the Lost Boys could hardly drag her kicking and screaming from such a public place...could they? With a grim expression, Catriona realised she wouldn't put it past them. That or they'd kill her friends themselves simply out of spite. Even then, how would she explain her sudden lack of ageing to her family? She couldn't get by without the help from the Lost Boys.

So what if she brought them with her? Or sent them alone? That idea was scrapped within seconds - there was no way she'd be able to get Bryana to willingly give up half of her holiday without good reason, and she knew babbling about vampires wasn't exactly a good reason. Plus, she didn't even want to consider the idea of David's wrath if she sent them away without her. Any idea that involved leaving Santa Carla was futile. Catriona didn't even want to admit to herself that she didn't know if she could bring herself to leave. The logical side of her wanted to - she felt sick at Paul's betrayal of her trust, and leaving would mean not having to give up her own family...but leaving did mean giving up Paul, and the less logical side of her was distraught at that idea, no matter how much she hated herself for that reaction. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Catriona saw no way out.

With a muttered curse, she ran a hand through her hair and willed herself to think even harder. David was so hell bent on her being the one to kill them, so would he really do it himself if she didn't? He himself had told her how many issues there would be if she wasn't the one to do it, so would he really risk all of that just so they'd die? Maybe that's just what he wanted her to think - he wanted her to believe that there was no way out and that she _had_ to do it so that she'd do it more easily. Catriona knew it was a dangerous game to try and call David's bluff, of all people, but she had to hope. Now she just had to have a plan for if he wasn't bluffing.

* * *

Catriona had been unable to sleep all day. Despite the sunlight and the way it seemed to drain her, the guilt and the worry were too intense for her to even sit, never mind sleep. The sunset had been as equally spectacular as the sunrise, but there was something in the back of her head hoping that this really wouldn't be the last one...and if it was, missing sunlight was the least of her worries. If this was her last sunset, it meant that her friends would be dead by morning.

She looked very much out of place next to Bryana and Sophie that evening. They'd both made an effort - make-up, styled hair, pretty outfits - whereas for once, Catriona couldn't bring herself to care about how she looked. Her hands weren't even steady enough to apply eyeliner if she'd wanted to. Every so often, one of them would shoot her an odd look, although Sophie's was sympathetic whilst Bryana's was smug, probably feeling happy at looking better than her. Although that was hardly a grand feat. Catriona was pale, her features almost as white as the bed sheets, and she knew her eyes were red from the lack of sleep - they burned whenever she blinked and felt like they weighed a ton. She spent most of the time it took her friends to get ready pacing between the bed and the bathroom, feeling like she was going to throw up. Of course, that brought a whole new round of "You're not pregnant, are you?" jabs and comments from Bryana, but those made Catriona freeze.

Paul had described his infertility as a " _side effect of a pre-existing condition_ ". Her hand flew to her abdomen and she felt her blood run cold.

"What? Shit, you're not actually pregnant are you?" Sophie's eyes widened at Catriona's reaction.

"No," Catriona murmured blankly, before mentally adding on ' _And now I never will be_.'

As if on cue, the sounds of the motorcycles then filled the air, getting louder and louder until the headlights were shining through the curtains. The engines were then killed and soon the four Lost Boys stood in open doorway.

"Paul, I need to talk to you," she spoke blankly, ignoring the look of surprise on his face.

"Sure, babe," he hid his surprise well, and turned and left the room, gesturing for her to follow and they walked a few feet down the beach, just so that they'd be out of earshot "So, uh...What's up?"

"I can't have children, can I?" her voice was dull and tired, as though she wasn't even surprised that she'd found something else to upset her at this point.

Paul was silent for a few moments, but she couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with him.

"No...None of us can," he admitted quietly "Did you want to?"

"Yes, Paul, I wanted to," she laughed humourlessly "I love kids, but you never asked about that, did you? Why do you think I was studying for one of the most pointless degrees known to man? So I could then do a post-grad year to become a teacher for kids aged five to ten. I dedicated hours of free time to doing work experience at the local primary school! I used to babysit all of the kids in my family for free! "

She felt tears spring to her eyes but couldn't bring herself to feel stupid for being so upset.

"But I mean, it's nice to know that now they'll have those memories of me, huh?" she sniffed, angrily wiping the tears from her face.

"Cat, I didn't know, babe," he sighed mournfully, reaching to pull her closer.

"No, Paul, you didn't _want_ to know," she shook her head, taking a step back "Because then, heavens forbid, you might have actually felt guilty. It wouldn't have even stopped you."

"I did this for us! Both of us!"

"Sure, keep telling yourself that. I'll keep that in mind when I'm being made to kill my friends."

Without another word, she spun around and strode back to the hotel room, not even bothering to hide the fact that she'd been crying.

"Oooh, trouble in paradise?" Bryana practically sang upon Catriona's return.

"Shut the fuck _up_ , Bryana," Catriona's restraint snapped and her voice rose to a shout, turning on the brunette with a glare that dared her to say anything else.

"It was a joke, Jesus," Bryana tried to play it off, but failed to hide how startled she was.

"Everything okay?" David asked casually.

"Yeah, David, everything's fucking grand," Catriona muttered, shoving her feet into her boots and pocketing the knife that Paul had given her the night they met - it would come in handy "Let's go."

* * *

True to the plan, the Lost Boys had set up a bonfire on a small secluded area of the beach, boxed in by cliff faces - the only way out was through the thick patch of trees to the left.

"I'm not doing it," Catriona said simply to David "I'm not."

"You've got an hour," he shrugged, completely disregarding what she'd said "You know what happens if you don't."

He moved on without waiting for a response and Catriona's fingertips moved to trace the outline of the knife in her jeans pocket. A hand pulled at her arm and Catriona jumped in surprise before turning around to see Dwayne. Blinking in surprise, she nodded as though to ask him what was up.

"With some practice, full vampires can pretty much hypnotize people - mainly mind games and shit, making them hallucinate and whatever," he explained quietly "But I might be able to help you. It'll wear off real fast because it's tricky shit, but I could keep them calm for like, ten seconds tops if things get out of hand."

"Why are you helping me?" her tone wasn't accusatory, but wary.

"I'm your brother now," he spoke sincerely "I intend to be a good one."

She gave him a wary nod and then moved closer to the bonfire, sitting down in the sand. Dwayne moved to grab them a couple of beers before he sat beside her. Catriona did her best not to pay attention to the fact that Paul sat across the fire from them...but she couldn't not notice the way Bryana edged up to his side...and the fact that he didn't do anything to discourage that.

Giving an annoyed snort, she shook her head and twisted the cap off of her beer. He could do whatever he wanted. She didn't care. Marko eventually finished with the boom box they'd either brought along or acquired along the way, and soon Lynyrd Skynyrd began playing.

"Cat?"

She jumped and then turned her head to see Dwayne looking at her expectantly. She hadn't even realised he'd asked her a question. Apparently she cared more than she liked to admit.

"Sorry, what?" she sighed, shaking her head.

"You have any trouble during the day?"

"What, with...resisting?" she had no idea how to phrase it.

"You haven't fed and you were stuck around two mortals all day," he shrugged "I'd be surprised if you didn't struggle."

"I definitely noticed," she sighed quietly "But I was more weirded out by the fact that I could _hear_ their heartbeats. Smell their blood."

Sophie was joking around with Marko. Catriona looked away with a grimace. The girl had no idea who, no, _what_ she was surrounded by.

Time ticked by, and as nervous as Catriona was, she couldn't tear her gaze away from Bryana and Paul. Over the course of the time they'd been there, Bryana's skirt had slowly ridden up to the point where Catriona was sure a belt would cover more. That wasn't what bothered her the most. What truly bothered her was Bryana's behaviour. She was finding any excuse to touch Paul - touching a hand to his shoulder, messing with his hair, pressing her leg against his, and it was making Catriona's blood boil. What did this little bitch think she was playing at?! In the right state of mind, Catriona would have ignored it - or laughed right in her face, just to piss her off, but Catriona wasn't in her right state of mind. Something primal and territorial had been triggered inside her. All she knew was that Bryana had to get her hands off of Paul if she knew what was good for her. Jaw clenched, she wasn't even aware she was preparing to stand until Sophie fell down into the sand beside her.

"Just ignore her, Kit Kat," she sighed "I don't know why she's being like this. I'm sorry."

Catriona relaxed after Sophie snapped her out of her anger, internally alarmed at her own reaction and how violent her thoughts had turned, just watching Bryana's attempts to flirt. She had been about to laugh it off, but then Bryana did something incredibly stupid. She leant forward and whispered something in Paul's ear, and as she was doing so she looked right at Catriona and gave her an incredibly smug smile.

In seconds, Catriona was on her feet and practically looming over Bryana.

"Oh, Cat - Paul and I need some beer," Bryana said in a sweet tone, counting on the fact that Catriona usually hated confrontation.

Bryana was proved very wrong when Catriona's fist met her face. She was vaguely aware of Sophie giving a shriek of horror somewhere behind her, whilst David burst into laughter. Bryana was clutching at her face, head bowed, but when she looked up blood was streaming from her nose. Catriona's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes fixed on the crimson substance.

"Look at what you did!" Bryana shrieked, gesturing wildly towards her with a bloody hand.

Blood splashed from her hand and hit Catriona in the face, and it all became far too much to resist. She was on her in a split second. Somebody was screaming and shouting, but Catriona didn't care. Bryana's hands tangled in her hair and then yanked, trying to pull her off of her to no avail. The vampire's teeth found the mortal's neck and clamped down. It was all over from there on. Blood spilled into Cat's mouth and she gulped it down, feeling like she'd just been given water after days of wandering the desert.

When her senses returned, she was kneeling beside Bryana, who was limp and already turning cold, eyes staring at the sky blankly. Sophie was screaming Bryana's name in between sobs and shouted demands to know what was going on. Slowly, what she'd just done began to register with Cat and horror filled her. Chest heaving, she desperately tried to suck air into her lungs, but it felt like nothing was happening. She'd killed Bryana. The blood was warm and sticky, covering her mouth, neck and hands. When she turned her face, Sophie's screams became more horrified and high-pitched. David had her pinned against him, her back to his chest. This snapped Cat from her stupor.

"Dwayne, calm her down please," she spoke quietly, but her voice was ragged, calculating her next move as subtly as she could.

Dwayne nodded and strode towards Sophie, holding her jaw and forcing her to look at him "Calm down. Everything's fine."

His voice was gruff and far from comforting, however the effect was immediate and the blonde's screaming stopped, her eyes going almost glazed over, a dreamy expression on her face. Cat knew what she had to do. Her only thought was that she could still save Sophie. Jumping to her feet, she dug the knife from her pocket.

She held the edge of the blade her throat and stared at David defiantly, willing herself not to stop shaking and focus on doing what she could "Let. Her. Go."

"That wouldn't kill you, Cat," he said confidently, although he was visibly surprised at the new development "It'd hurt like hell, but wouldn't kill you. Not if we got Paul's blood to you on time, which you know we would."

Paul and Dwayne froze at either side of David, alarm clear on their faces.

"...No," she sighed, lowering the knife "You're right. That wouldn't kill me."

Everybody visibly relaxed, but then Cat continued.

"But this would," soon the knife was pointed at her chest, aiming directly at her heart and Paul swore in a loud, panicked voice.

"You sure you've got the right spot, there?" David's voice wavered only slightly, giving away his bluff "Wrong angle and you hit a rib."

"I got an A+ in high school biology," she spoke levelly, eyes slowing moving around the fire in case any of them made a move towards her.

She realised a second too late that she didn't know where Marko was. Almost comically, Lynyrd Skynyrd's _Free Bird_ solo kicked into life, blaring through the speakers of the boom box just as he jumped her from behind and they went down into the sand.

* * *

 **A/N: I want to work on giving Cat more of a relationship with the other Lost Boys, so that's coming up in future chapters.** **I got the hypnosis idea from the mockumentary "What We Do in the Shadows" which is hilarious and actually references The Lost Boys! I've started referring to Catriona as Cat when in the third person starting from when she becomes a full vampire, just because I found it to be an appropriate time to make the switch - although I might slip up and type it as "Catriona" from time to time, so forgive me if I do!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: A short one. Gaaah I hate these angsty chapters x) I much prefer it when Cat and Paul are happy and cute. I never expected such a lovely response to this story considering it's an old movie and not really a big fandom – but it just shows that the appeal of ridiculously hot 80s vampires is everlasting ;) Thank you!**

* * *

 _She realised a second too late that she didn't know where Marko was. Almost comically, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird solo kicked into life, blaring through the speakers of the boom box just as he jumped her from behind and they went down into the sand._

* * *

"No!" Paul exclaimed just in time, as Marko went to roll Cat onto her front in an effort to pin her underneath him - but this would result in their combined weight forcing her down onto the blade.

Cat grunted and elbowed him in the ribs, hard, causing Marko to groan but he didn't loosen his grip. He wrapped his legs around hers, his hands gripping her own, trying to keep the knife away from her chest, his knees clamped onto her hips and he rolled her onto her back on top of him, forcing her wrist into a painful angle to try and get her to drop the knife. He was struggling to get a decent grip on her wrists due to the blood on them, and one slip could result in the blade being plunged into her chest accidentally. With a grunt, he twisted her wrist again sharply. Cat gave a yelp, pain shooting through her wrist, and in a second Paul was on her, yanking the knife from her grip, but causing it to slice through the webbing between her index finger and thumb. The knife was quickly thrown to Dwayne, who closed and pocketed it. Once the knife was out of her reach, Marko let go of her. Sophie was now screaming again in David's grip.

Cat rolled to her knees, whimpering in pain and cradling her wrist, fresh blood pouring from her wounded hand.

"I'll give you to the count of ten, Cat," David was done playing around "If you're not here and ready to deal with this by then, I'll do it."

"Catriona, help me, oh god, please. Cat, help me," Sophie cried, tears streaming down her face.

Cat's chest physically ached as she struggled to her feet. David had gotten to seven by the time she was before them, and then he stopped.

"Catriona please," Sophie wept "I don't know what's going on Cat, please."

Cat was sobbing now as she put her hands on either side of Sophie's face "It's okay Soph."

Her voice was ragged and weak.

"Bryana's dead," Sophie's sobbing was becoming hysterical "Catriona what's happening. Please don't kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you Sophie," Cat stared her in the eye, although her vision was blurry and the blood from her hand was soaking into Sophie's blonde hair "It's going to be okay."

"It is?" Sophie was so hysterical at this point that she'd believe everything "Cat I'm sca-"

She didn't finish her sentence, as Cat clenched her jaw and then twisted Sophie's head sharply to the right and her neck broke with a snap. She went limp in David's arms. The second it was done, Cat backtracked with a wail and narrowly avoided stumbling into the bonfire when Paul pulled her out of the way, towards him. Her legs buckled the second she was in his arms, capable of nothing but producing painful sobs that wracked her entire body. Cat clung to Paul as he held her tightly against him, desperate for some kind of solace. She found none.

* * *

Cat didn't remember how she got back to the Lost Cave. One minute she was hunched over in the sand, watching the bodies of her friends burn, and the next she was sat on the mattress in the alcove, Paul still holding her in a tight embrace whilst Dwayne cleaned the wound on her hand.

"Why didn't you push her away, Paul?" Cat asked - it just didn't make sense to her, he practically attacked Edgar for grabbing her wrist, after all! Sure, that wasn't flirting, but still.

Paul jumped when she spoke up for the first time.

"What do you mean?" his nervous tone told her he knew exactly what she meant.

"Bryana. She was practically dry humping you, for Christ's sake. Why didn't you do anything? I'm not even saying this from some crazy jealous place. I genuinely want to know," her throat felt raw and her eyes burned.

If Dwayne was uncomfortable being in the middle of this, he didn't give it away and simply continued dab the vodka onto her hand. There were scratches on her face from Bryana's nails when she had struggled against her, but she barely noticed them.

"We didn't know if you were going to do it, babe," he sighed eventually "We thought you might need a...nudge. Knew you'd get jealous because I know that if I was in your shoes, I'd rip the guy's head off."

Cat stared blankly at the blanket strewn across her legs. Dwayne stopped cleaning her cut and picked up some bandages.

"Would you _please_ just lose your shit or...or yell at me or something? Babe?"

"What would shouting fix?"

She felt empty. Nothing felt quite real, as though she were having a lucid dream.

"She's in shock," Dwayne muttered to Paul, unravelling the bandages "She'll snap out of it soon. If not, keep her talking. You can't let her disconnect, even if she starts crying again."

Paul pressed a kiss to her forehead but she barely felt it.

Dwayne silently wrapped her wrist, binding the cut on her hand and then her thumb against her hand with the bandages too, to stem the bleeding. It'd heal soon enough, but it'd be a lot quicker if it was looked after. As soon as he was done, he got up and left, closing the curtains behind him. The images from that night constantly replayed in her mind again and again – the taste of Bryana's blood, the feeling of Sophie's neck snapping under her grip.

"What happens now?" she croaked.

"When you're ready, we'll go to the hotel room and pack your shit up. We'll steal a car and drive all your bags up to the airport next week, make it look like you got taken from there...Then you can call your mom from there..."

' _One week_ ,' Cat thought dully ' _I've just got to hang on for one week.'_

She moved to lie down, boots and all, but then tensed when Paul began to shrug off his jacket.

"You're sleeping here?" she asked, not looking at him.

"I get why you don't want me to, but, uh...I can't trust you not to barbecue yourself during the day..." he admitted awkwardly.

" _You_ can't trust _me_?" she murmured, emotionless "Now there's a good joke."

Paul visibly flinched at her words but she didn't care. Rolling onto her side, Cat stared at the cave wall, wishing she could sleep if only for a break from all of this utter mess. Closing her eyes, Cat clung to the emptiness she felt, knowing it was her only hope of surviving the next week.

* * *

When Cat next woke up, she was sweating and she couldn't breathe. For a second she moved for the curtains, but then stalled. It was daylight. Paul was out cold on the mattress, snoring softly. Willing herself to stay calm, she felt around in the darkness for the lighter. The second she found it, she lit the candles in the alcove...but soon realise that was a mistake. Dried blood was still caked to her uninjured hand, and soon she realised it was still on her neck and face too. A horrified whimper escaped her lips and she froze, but Paul didn't stir. She tried to scrub at her arms to shift the blood, but it didn't work. Clamping her eyes shut, she curled up on the mattress and struggled to control her breathing.

The last thing she wanted to do was fall back asleep. In her dreams she relived the murder of her friends over and over again, but the longer she stayed awake, the more and more aware she was of the dried blood caked all over her.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she tried to reason with herself. All she needed to do was make it to nightfall and then she could wash off in the ocean outside. Then she could walk around and not feel so trapped. Then she could breathe. It was going to be a long day.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: A longer update tonight, to make up for the fact that I wasn't totally happy with the one I posted last night. So quite a lot of time elapses in this chapter. I tried to write it differently, but just writing endless days of Cat being depressed really isn't worth it because it would just bore everybody, including me. You guys get the point, she's not a happy bunny at the moment, so I figured you don't need five chapters of her being sad to get the point across. I hope it doesn't seem too rushed!**

* * *

She left the cave the second she was sure the sun was down that night. When Paul found her, crouched next to the ocean, her skin was red raw from the icy water, but she continued to scrub at it. The bandage lay on the rocks at her feet, her hand fully healed.

"Didn't think to wash the blood off last night," he admitted with a sigh "C'mon babe."

When he helped her to her feet, he began to walk in the direction of his bike.

"I'm not really in the mood for a ride," she held her arms against her to try and disguise how she was shaking.

"Trust me, Cat," he did his best to give her one of his usual grins, but there was no conviction behind it because it was obvious he knew how ludicrous that request was.

They walked in an awkward silence, Paul obviously unaware of how to act around her. He was a very physical guy, that much was obvious. Before all of the shit had gone down, he'd always had an arm around her shoulder or his fingertips against her skin. Now that was off of the table. Cat couldn't even bring herself to be bothered by his awkwardness - she was, however, bothered by how comforted she was when she wrapped her arms around him after they got onto the bike. She knew she couldn't help it, that it was innate, but still - after everything he'd caused, how on earth could she still be comforted by his presence?

During the day, she'd done a lot of thinking once she was capable of it. She realised just how little she knew about Paul. Okay, so he was a vampire, he could be incredibly sweet, he liked good music and weed. That was it. Cat had known more about her acquaintances back home than she knew about him. Hell, she didn't even know how old he was, or even where he was from!

Despite the fact that David looked younger than Dwayne and Paul, she didn't doubt that he was the oldest, what with the way he took the lead in every situation. Or perhaps they were simply content to let him take the lead. The Lost Boys as a whole were the most laid back group of people she'd ever encountered. Then again, they literally had all of the time in the world at their disposal...And now she did too. Her train of thought stopped when the bike did, and she looked up from Paul's shoulder. They were at her hotel.

"Paul-"

"We're not going to your room," he reassured, glancing around the beach, which was mostly empty "They got the better rooms up top - harder to break into...supposedly."

She could tell he was doing his best to try and lighten the mood as he helped her off the bike.

"Think you could get to room..." he looked up at one of the windows, squinting thoughtfully "What's your room number?"

"Four."

"Get to room three-oh-four, yeah?"

She tilted her head up to the window that he was looking at before nodding silently and heading towards the hotel. Cat successfully managed to avoid anybody else when she was moving through the hotel, and for that she was grateful. She didn't have the energy to endure the odd looks her appearance would no doubt draw in.

By the time she reached the third floor, Paul was leaning against the open door of the room as if he owned the place.

"The cave doesn't exactly have plumbin' or nothin', so this is how we shower," he shrugged "You just gotta make sure that the room isn't booked before you climb in...Ha, this one time Dwayne didn't bother to check the room properly for bags and shit before he showered - some old lady got a real eyeful that night."

His grin faltered when she didn't react, but he continued on, leading her towards the bathroom. He'd been right - this room was better than the one she'd been in the bathroom was way bigger and had both a tub and a shower.

"So...uh...I'll go be lookout," he awkwardly patted her on the shoulder and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Cat stood motionless in the bathroom for a few seconds before she began to undress. She moved to inspect her reflection in the mirror and then froze when she realised she didn't have one. A shriek escaped her throat and Paul was in the room within seconds, probably assuming she'd finally broken down.

"Oh, that," he winced, noticing that the reflection in the mirror showed an empty room "We're not invited in here so...yeah. That happens. You still got a reflection in public places, the cave...your hotel room, until you're meant to check out, I guess."

Cat recovered from the surprise fairly quickly, but was still unable to tear her gaze from the mirror.

"You okay?"

"I just..." she took in a deep breath and nodded "I got a fright. I'm fine. I'll shower now."

Paul left and Cat showered until the hot water was all gone - another thing about the USA she'd have to get used to, in Britain the hot water didn't _run out_. She snorted to herself. Then again, in Britain she hadn't murdered anybody, either. She shook her head with a sigh, refusing to think about it as she wrapped at towel around herself and then grabbed another for her hair. That was when she realised the only clothes she had were caked in blood, sand and who knew what else.

She padded barefoot into the bedroom, surprised when she found it empty - but she could see Paul's shadow underneath the door as he stood watch. Then she noticed the clothes on the bed. Strewn across the covers were clean clothes that she'd last seen in her suitcase - a Guns N' Roses t-shirt, a pair of ripped jeans and what had to be the most boring and conservative bra and underwear set she'd packed. They'd been shoved to the bottom of her case, so he must've had to dig around to find them. Clearly he was trying to make a point of being respectful, and she didn't want to admit how touched she was by it. Her vision clouded with tears and she quickly blinked them away, taking a shaky breath. All she wanted to do was sleep for the next hundred years.

* * *

Over the next few nights, Cat realised that sleep was no longer an option. The nightmares started out the same - repeats of that horrible night, but soon they got worse. Soon it wasn't Bryana that she was draining, but her mother...and it was no longer Sophie's neck she was breaking, but Jamie's. In others, Bryana and Sophie were in the cave with her, pale and practically transparent, demanding to know how she could even bring herself to kill them. She woke up, still able to feel the cracking of the bones, and every day it took more and more out of her to try and keep quiet and regain her ability to breathe. She couldn't handle waking up with the image of her brother, dead, fresh in her mind.

From time to time, she'd doze off sitting on one of the couches during the night, only to jump awake when the nightmares began. This would earn her sympathetic looks from the Lost Boys, but she'd made it clear it wasn't a topic that was up for discussion.

She had taken to reading during the day, instead. Dwayne and David had an impressive collection of books between them, and when Cat had asked Dwayne if she could read them, he'd laughed at the fact that she'd even bothered asking and told her to help herself. She knew that Paul knew she wasn't sleeping. Every day she'd lie on the mattress and wait for him to fall asleep before carefully sitting up and opening whatever book she was reading at that time and when he woke up she'd claim she'd just woken up half an hour before he did.

When the emptiness threatened to wear off, she self medicated. If there was one good thing about the Surf Nazis and other scumbags the Lost Boys often targeted around Santa Carla, it was that they had - or were - good dealers. Pickpocketing became her hobby around the boardwalk when she was forced to leave the cave, and soon she'd accumulated a nice little stash of codeine, tramadol and weed. She'd only fed once since Bryana and Sophie, and she'd found that David was right. After such a horrendous first kill, the pained wailing of Surf Nazis really didn't bother her.

The books were a welcome distraction. A way to escape her current situation. If Paul couldn't prove she wasn't sleeping, he wouldn't broach the subject, so all she had to do was make sure he couldn't prove anything. He could, however, prove that she wasn't eating. Whenever one of the boys brought food back to the cave, she'd nibble at whatever she was given before nausea took over and she'd have to put it down.

* * *

 _With The Lost Boys_

"You and Cat," Paul spoke plainly and Dwayne sighed, shooting a glance towards the alcove where Cat was, as usual.

The dark haired Lost Boy had been the one to draw the most conversation from Cat, questioning her on the books she was reading or suggesting new ones. It was a sort of common ground that didn't touch upon any kind of touchy subjects, so it worked out well.

"I'm not trying to step on your toes, brother. I just-"

"No," Paul sighed shaking his head "I'd never think that. I wanted to thank you, man. She needs _somebody_ , and she's made it pretty damn clear that that person ain't me."

"You don't need to thank me. She's a cool chick. Dunno how she ended up stuck with you," Dwayne teased with a smirk "Don't give up hope."

"She doesn't even look at me when I talk!"

"She doesn't look at any of us when we talk. Hell, she's probably not even aware when we're talking half the time," Marko shrugged.

"That's the thing, man! This shit can't be good!"

"You're in no position to give anybody a lecture on substance abuse," David snorted "She'll snap out of it. She's grieving."

"And you think she'll be able to handle the phone call with her mom tomorrow night?"

"It might help," Dwayne shrugged "Pull her out of this...zombie-ism."

"And here I thought we'd turned her into a vampire," David quipped and everybody laughed except Paul "Come on, we'll go to the boardwalk. Longer we let her lie there like a corpse, the longer she'll want to."

* * *

The Lost Boys gained a lot of odd looks on the boardwalk that night - more than usual - mainly because of the fact that they had a girl who looked half-traumatised trailing along after them, paying no mind to the energetic blond with his arm slung over her shoulder. Briefly, Cat made eye contact with Edgar as he lurked around the entrance of his shop. She repressed an exasperated laugh when his eyes scanned over her, widened and then narrowed and he scowled.

Eventually they came to a stop, leaning against the boardwalk railings as the Lost Boys bantered between eachother back and forth, Cat being mostly unaware of what they were saying. All of her attention was focused on the nearest alleyway, the one between the diner and the video rental shop. There was movement underneath one of the dumpsters. She squinted into the darkness, trying to make out what it was.

"I'll be back," Cat murmured simply before making her way towards one of the fast food trucks.

"Cat, what are you-" Paul began but stopped when he realised it was pointless.

The Lost Boys watched in pure bewilderment when she was handed a burger a few minutes later, but her odd behaviour didn't stop there, moving towards a nearby trash can, she rested the Styrofoam container on top of it and picked everything off of the burger, throwing it away. Soon she was only left with the meat, which she then began tearing up into smaller pieces with her hands.

"She's finally cracked," David commented lightly.

Once she was done, she picked up the container again and made her way to nearby alley way. They watched as she knelt down, opened the container and pushed it along the ground before backing up a few feet. After what felt like an eternity, slowly a scrawny black cat emerged from under the dumpster, sniffing at the food.

Cat reached out a wary hand, whilst the cat sniffed at her fingertips before eventually head butting her hand, giving her permission to pet it, and then going straight for the food. It took Paul a few minutes to register the fact that Cat was actually smiling and cooing quietly, scratching at the cat's ears.

"We could-"

"We're not getting her a cat," David cut in before Paul could even finish his sentence.

"Hey man, a cat for Cat," Marko snickered "Maybe it's a sign."

"No," David reiterated firmly "That's the worst idea I've ever heard since they ignored the iceberg warnings on the Titanic."

"Fine, no cat for Cat...but she's smiling," Paul pointed out, as though he had to make sure the others saw it too, in order to know it was true and he wasn't just seeing things.

"Good sign," Dwayne nodded.

"I think I love this chick, man," Paul sighed, watching as she continued to encourage the stray to eat.

"I'd be pissed if you didn't, all the drama lately," David snorted "She's barely said two words to you in the past four days."

"Absence makes the heart grow stronger," Paul sighed, mock-wistfully.

" _Fonder_ , idiot," Dwayne corrected with a bark of laughter, earning a playful shove for his efforts.

"Still, shows us that she _can_ still smile. Hope isn't lost," David shrugged as though he'd known that all along.

* * *

Cat looked up from the joint she was rolling and nodded in acknowledgement to David, who stood in the entrance of the alcove. He'd been giving her odd looks all night on the boardwalk and she'd spent the night pretending not to notice.

"You gotta stop this, Cat."

"Stop what?"

"This 'woe is me' self pity shit. What's done is done."

"It's been what? Four or five days? she murmured, fiddling with the roach of the joint.

"Exactly. I've given you two more days than I should have. It's time for you to suck it up, start eating and sleeping and cheer the fuck up," his said in a matter-of-fact tone "And stop blocking Paul out. You need each other."

"I'm not into the whole dependency thing."

"You think he is? You know," David chuckled "Before Paul actually met you, if someone had told him that soon he'd be tied to one chick for eternity and doing everything in his power just to get her to smile at him...he'd have slit your throat."

"Maybe he should."

"Enough, Cat," David's patience was waning "This shit's getting old. Your "friends" are dead. It's done. If you don't actually start enjoying immortality and being with Paul, which is what they died _for,_ then they died for nothing! So snap out of it."

Paul joined them in the alcove, drawn by the raised voices.

"You think this is how I want to be, David? You think I'm choosing not to sleep or eat? I'm _choosing_ to be fucking miserable?" there was a fire in her eyes now, apathy draining from her voice "I fucking can't! Every time I close my eyes, suddenly I'm killing my friends all over again. Or sometimes, if I'm really fucking lucky, it's my family instead! Then I get to wake up and talk myself down from a panic attack. Every. Damn. Time. You think I want to be awake all day, reading fucking _Dracula_ of all things? I mean, the irony isn't lost on me, but I'm not in the position to find it funny just yet!"

"There's that temper," David gave a triumphant smirk and Cat froze, realising David's aim - to jolt her out of her apathy.

"Why didn't you say anything about the nightmares?" Paul cut in, brow furrowed.

"Last time I spoke up, I was saying I didn't want to kill my friends. Nobody really bothered listening," she gave a bitter laugh.

"Shit, Cat, you can't try and get through this shit alone!" Paul protested, annoyance plain in his voice.

"Enough is enough!" David pushed.

"No," she shook her head "You don't get to decide that. As far as I'm concerned, I just need to make it to Sunday night, then I can phone my mum."

"You really think you'll be able to give her any kind of hint?" David quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" Cat's eyebrows shot up "You think that I view that as my way out? No. I want to say goodbye. To talk to her one last time. After that, I don't give half a fuck about what happens to me."

"So you don't care what happens to Paul either, then?" David asked, arms folding as he leant against the cave wall.

Cat's defiance faltered and she frowned in confusion, putting down the joint.

"Think about it Cat. Your his soulmate. How do you think your death would affect him? I'd put money on it destroying him. I mean, you're like this over two people who barely gave a shit about you. Paul loves you."

Both of their heads snapped to David, Paul in annoyance and Cat in alarm.

"He told us on the boardwalk tonight. Sorry for ruining the surprise, Paul," David shrugged "But she should know. It's about damn time you make your friends' deaths _mean_ something, because right now? They died so you could abuse painkillers and feel sorry for yourself. Hell, even if you make it so that they died so you could screw Paul every night, I don't _care,_ but this self pitying bullshit is damn boring and you're above it."

She didn't respond, but David must have known he'd gotten to her because he left the alcove with a triumphant expression.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Originally this chapter was going to be double the length that it is, but I'm struggling with what would have been the second part, and I figured it'd be better to update sooner and post the next part separately rather than possibly wait another week. As always, thank you so much to those who left lovely reviews!**

* * *

"You're not sleeping."

"Neither are you."

" _Paul_."

" _Cat_."

"I'm fine. You should sleep."

"I'll sleep when you do."

"I can't sleep."

"Then neither can I."

Cat groaned and buried her face in her hands, taking in a deep breath.

"Contrary to what David believes, I'm really not doing this to try and make some kind of weird point here," she sighed "Or to be difficult. I'd rather be tired than have those nightmares. If you can sleep, you should."

"And I'd rather be tired than know you were awake all night freakin' out by yourself."

"Why are you being so sweet?" she asked the question before she could even consider if it was a good idea of not "Why haven't you given up yet?"

"David just told you why," he avoided her gaze and said nothing else, closing the curtains behind him and shrugging off his jacket.

Cat placed the joint between her lips and lit it.

"We need to talk at some point. A serious sit-down and all that shit. Figure everything out," she spoke slowly, looking down at her lap "But I can't do it tonight. Not with what's coming up tomorrow. I honestly haven't got it in me."

Paul's shirt joined his jacket and he climbed onto the mattress.

"I know," he nodded eventually.

That was a major difference between her and Paul. Whilst she was content to talk about her emotions until the cows came home, she was very reluctant when it came to expressing them physically. Paul was the polar opposite. She supposed it was good. They balanced each other out.

"And I'm really sorry, but I can't...I can't discuss what David just said. Not right now."

"I know that too. S'why I didn't say nothin'."

"Yeah," Cat sighed, exhaling smoke and handing the joint to Paul.

If he was surprised by the gesture, he didn't show it. Slowly, he reached out his free hand and took hers, pressing it briefly to his lips.

"Try and sleep. I'll wake you up if you start having a nightmare."

"What if you can't tell?" she asked reluctantly.

"So I'll wake you up in an hour, then," he offered "Every hour, if I need to."

"Are you sure?" she sighed, but her argument was weakened by a yawn escaping her lips.

"Sleep," he reassured, the word muffled slightly by the joint.

Cat lay down, placing one hand under her pillow, the other was still gripping Paul's hand. It was the most intimate contact they'd had in days, and she didn't want to admit how comforting it was to herself. Bringing her legs up to her abdomen, she squeezed his hand and began to drift off, the last thing her being aware of was him squeezing back.

* * *

Not even an hour later, Cat's eyes flew open, her heart racing and her body enveloped in a cold sweat. True to his word, Paul was still awake, fiddling with the strings on the old electric guitar that the boys kept in the cave. He jumped when he realised she was awake, pushing the guitar to the side.

"You weren't making noises or nothin'," he gave as a way of explanation "Sorry I didn't wake you."

"It's fine," she shook her head, sitting up and wrapping her arms around herself to try and dispel the feeling of dread in her chest.

"Was it...the other night?"

"No, this one was new," she sighed, running a hand through her hair and silently debating on whether she should explain it or not.

Not meeting his gaze, she continued eventually "If you could go back and tell anybody from when you were mortal anything, what would you say?"

"Didn't have nobody worth saying anything to," his tone wasn't sad, just matter-of-fact "None of us did."

"Oh..." she brought her knees up under her chin "Sorry."

"Don't be. Worked out pretty damn well."

They sat in silence for a while, Paul going back to fiddling with the guitar once he seemed convinced she wasn't about to fall to pieces.

"I was in the airport."

"Huh?"

"In my dream, I mean. I was in the airport, on the phone to my mum. When I opened my mouth I couldn't speak - no sound would come out, no matter how much I tried and screamed and shouted. Eventually she got bored of asking who was there and hung up."

She didn't start crying - she _refused_ to start crying - but she couldn't stop herself from accepting Paul's embrace when he offered it. There was something about being physically close to him that was just immensely comforting.

"You'll get your goodbye," he murmured quietly after a while.

"I just..." she trailed off and bit her lip "I don't want to get a few decades down the line and have something I wish I'd told her whilst I could."

"You can't get by thinkin' like that."

"I can barely get by as it is," she murmured and his arms tightened around her.

* * *

Almost as soon as the sun went down that evening, Cat and Paul set out for the hotel, both dreading what was to come. They'd brought along an old backpack which Paul had filled with belongings that the Lost Boys no longer wanted (immortality apparently led to a lot of clutter) but that could pass as belonging to her, meaning she could take what she liked from her case and they'd pad it out with the Lost Boys' old t-shirts so her bags wouldn't seem suspiciously light.

Her own bags didn't bother her - she sat amongst her strewn out belongings, chose the things she absolutely _needed_ and only then did she turn to Sophie and Bryana's stuff. For a while she was almost tempted to keep some kind of keepsake, like one of Sophie's necklaces or a hair clip, but she felt like she had no right. She'd murdered her, after all. It would be better if it all found its way back to Sophie's family. Having to mostly guess whose belongings belonged to whom, she silently packed away her friend's belongings, trying to force her mind to go blank and ignoring the feeling of guilt gnawing at her in the pit of her stomach.

For his part, Paul left her to it. At one point he left to find a car that would help them transport the bags, returning half an hour later. She pretended to ignore the concerned looks he'd send her way every so often. Once all of the bags were packed, she padded back to her things to have a final look amongst them, not wanting to miss anything that held sentimental value. After a few moments she frowned, digging amongst the shirts to see if she could find what was missing, but to no avail.

"Somethin' wrong?" Paul spoke up from somewhere behind her.

She couldn't find the photo of them on the _Giant Dipper_ from New Year's Eve, but she felt ridiculous for even considering making an issue of it considering what was coming up that night.

"No...No, it's fine," she murmured with a disappointed grimace "Let's go."

It was odd seeing Paul driving a car instead of a bike. Almost out of place. She didn't even know he could drive a car. Sitting in the old Vauxhall Cavalier, Cat drummed her fingertips against her thigh nervously, eyeing the bags in the rearview mirror.

"There won't be like...security cameras or anything, will there?"

"Doubt it. Even if there is, your disappearance ain't ever gonna be followed up on. They may as well have a freakin' waiting list."

"You've never met my mother. She's going to raise hell."

"Force to be reckoned with?"

"A force of _nature_ ," the corners of her lips twitched upwards.

"That's where you get it from," his fingers tapped out a rhythm on the steering wheel.

"I wish," she murmured and then let silence fall between them.

They'd come to a somewhat awkward standstill, with neither being sure on how to fix it - and both knowing now wasn't even the time to consider fixing it. And so, without the heart to be angry at him, but without the energy to make things right, all Cat could do was ignore the discomfort and resolve to deal with it another night.

* * *

After dumping the bags and IDs in plain sight near the airport entrance, they moved like a funeral procession towards the series of payphones inside. Cat felt more and more nauseous with each step she stoop, her mind screaming at her to turn around and run. To get onto the flight bound for London anyway. To tell her mother the truth. She knew all of these things were impossible, but it didn't stop them from entering her mind.

"Want me to leave you alone?" Paul broke the silence when they approached the phones.

"And how do you know I won't let the cat out of the bag if left to my own devices?" she murmured distractedly.

"I trust you."

It was a blatant apology for when he said he wasn't sure he could trust her the other night. Cat lowered her gaze and slowly nodded.

"I'll be in the car."

She stood alone, staring at the number pad for what felt like hours before she finally picked up the receiver and dialled her mother's number. It rang for a while, and just as Cat was beginning to worry that there wouldn't be an answer, her mother's voice sounded, groggy and irritated.

"Hello?"

She'd forgotten about the time difference. Cat winced and bit the inside of her cheek, almost struggling to force the words out.

"Ma?" she breathed.

"Catriona Mackenzie! Do you have _any_ idea how worried we've all been?" any trace of tiredness was gone from her mother's voice, replaced by pure anger "What the hell is going on over there?! Your brother said he heard somebody _hitting_ you and a guy's voice! Jamie's been ready to get on a flight out there, guns blazing!"

"Nobody hit me, mum. I stubbed my toe or something," Cat protested half-heartedly, she'd known her brother would hear her groan of pain and think the worst "It was a misunderstanding. Too much to drink, emotions running high..."

She couldn't even bring herself to be upset at the fact that the last words she heard from her mother might just be a lecture. She could barely believe that this would be the last time. Desperately, she did her best to carve her mother's voice into her memory as best she could.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" her mother's voice lost its ire at Cat's defeated tone.

"I'm fine, mum, honestly. We're at the airport right now. I'm just...tired and homesick," a lump was forming in her throat as she fixed her gaze on her boots.

"And what about this biker business?" her mum prodded "How did that end?"

"We're working on it," it wasn't a lie.

"So it's continuing?" her mum asked, surprised "You must really like this guy."

"I think so," she sniffed "I wish you could meet him."

This was true. Even when she'd had no interest in any kind of relationship, she always knew that if the time came, the approval of her family would be key. Now it was one thing she'd never get.

"Christ, it must be serious," her mum teased in an attempt to lighten the mood "Maybe I will one day. I haven't had the chance to scare the living daylights out of one of your suitors yet."

"I'm sorry for depriving you of that," she gave a sad smile.

"Well, there's plenty of time yet, love."

"He'd let you kick his arse if he thought it'd get your approval," she admitted softly.

"Well then he's a good man."

A sob escaped Cat's lips and she clamped her free hand over her mouth to try and muffle the sound, but it was too late.

"Catriona, what's wrong? I know this isn't just about a boy." her mother's tone was dead serious now, demanding the truth.

"I just...I want to come home," she struggled to keep her voice from breaking.

"You've got another week off! Get your arse on a train up once you're back in London and Jamie'll pick you up from the station. Everybody's dying to see you, you know."

"I'm dying to see them too," Cat responded quietly and then cursed when the phone beeped, signalling they didn't have much time left "Mum, look, I'm running out of time."

"You call me when you get off the plane," her mother ordered "I'm worried about you, Cat."

"Don't worry about me, mum. Don't," her voice broke as she tried to think of anything she might want to say, any pretence of a casual conversation leaving her mind "I love you, okay?"

She was wracked with guilt at what she knew she was about to put her family through. It would destroy them, and none of them deserved that. Not even her father.

"What's all this, Cat?" her mum gave a bewildered laugh.

"And tell Jamie I love him...and give him a big hug for me, okay? Tell him I'm sorry for making him worry."

"Cat this isn't funn-"

" _Please_ , ma," Cat continued "Just...do it for me. Yeah?"

"Of course I will, but you can do it yourself soon enough! I'll see you soon, Cat. I love you, baby. I know things seem shitty right now, but be strong. You'll be home soon."

"I love you too."

With immaculate timing, the line gave a final beep before dying. Cat's legs buckled and she began to weep.

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay in the update! I took a break from the angsty writing to do some rough drafts for one-shots or filler chapters for this story that I can post later. Also writer's block + being completely unsure of how I wanted this chapter to happen = hell.**


	25. Chapter 25

Paul only left her alone after Cat tearfully pleaded for him to do so, rejecting all of his attempts to comfort her. She couldn't be near anybody at that time. She needed to be alone to cry and to process without somebody assuring her that it would be okay, when in reality there was no solution to her problems other than to come to terms with everything. Being alone was what she needed at that time, no matter how much Paul didn't want to accept it. He left the alcove with a frustrated sigh.

Almost as soon as he left, Cat was reaching for her stash of painkillers with a grimace. She just wanted something to take the edge off of everything. To be practically comatose for a while and just not think. Taking a few, Cat wiped at her eyes, regardless of how pointless it was considering fresh tears soon replaced the new ones. She couldn't help but think of all of the things that would happen in her life that she couldn't share with her family. Back home she'd called her family whenever she got a good grade or if something funny had happened on the tube. Now that couldn't happen any more. In a few decades, they'd be dead and she'd still be twenty.

A pained noise escaped her throat at that thought and she clamped her eyes shut, as though she might open her eyes and find out it had all been a nightmare. Part of her hoped that years - maybe even months - from now, everything would seem better, if only a little. She'd be able to laugh and smile and her mind wouldn't be constantly going over everything awful that had happened in the past week. She just had no idea how she'd be able to get to that point.

Paul was arguing with the others outside the alcove. She wondered if he knew she could hear him.

"She's gonna withdraw again, man. I know she is. Last week you were saying I shouldn't leave her alone!"

"She's _mourning_. She won't thank you for smothering her," David sounded uncharacteristically exasperated.

"Not one damn thing I do is right!"

Cat's temper sparked at that. Was that what he was really thinking about? How hard all of this was on _him_?

"I don't know how to help her," his clarification and dejected tone did nothing to soothe her anger.

Slowly, she stood, picking up her beer bottle as she went. Going to the entrance of the alcove, she pushed the curtains back and leaned against the wall. Paul's back was to her, but he turned when he saw the others attention move to her.

"No, please," she raised her free hand "Go back to talking about how difficult this is for you."

"You know that's not how I meant it."

"Do I? What do I know about you, Paul?"

"Oh for Christ's sake. I had to keep it from you! What would you've done if I strolled up on your first damn night and went 'hey baby, I'm a vampire'?"

"Well I don't know, but I'm sure my reaction would have been very inconvenient for you."

Marko and David looked fairly amused at the exchange, Dwayne being the only one who looked ready to intervene instead of being entertained.

"What have you taken?" Paul sighed when he saw the way she swayed slightly on her feet.

"This and that. Figured mixing my shit couldn't hurt - see, I _am_ appreciating my immortality! I mean, damn, this is definitely worth my mother thinking I'm dead. Fuck yeah. Party!" she was losing her calm exterior as she went on.

"You ain't even trying to have a good time! Fuck, babe, you'd think I'd put you on death row! You've been actin' like a damn zombie for the past week."

"Last I checked I was a vampire," she snapped.

"Exactly!" his voice rose "You're a damn vampire! You really don't see anything good about that? Shit, you'd think I'd cursed you or some shit. You're immortal now! Why don't you appreciate anything about it?!"

"I didn't ask you to turn me!" shouting the words made her physically shake.

"So stop making me wish I hadn't!" he yelled back and then froze, as if only just realising what he'd said.

The beer bottle slipped from Cat's hand, smashing at her feet and with that, the cave fell silent. The hurt that flared through her chest was physically painful. Everybody stared at Paul in pure astonishment, whilst he looked like a deer in headlights, mouth open and closing wordlessly in disbelief at what he'd just said.

"You don't want me here?" a bitter smile pulled at the corners of her mouth and she gave a humourless laugh.

"Babe, I didn't mean-" Paul could barely get the sentence out before Cat left the cave "Shit! _Cat_!"

He went to follow her, but David caught his arm with an exasperated look "I think you're the last person who'll be able to talk her down right now."

Dwayne then wordlessly followed Cat out of the cave.

"Ever think to, well, _think_ before you speak, Paul?" David's tone wasn't harsh, but it was certainly annoyed.

"I was pissed!" Paul protested.

"Yeah and now she thinks the entire reason all this shit has happened to her in the past two weeks _doesn't want her here_. AKA, all of it was pointless," the more David talked, the paler Paul went as he realised just how Cat had taken what he'd said.

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"She ain't in a state to care about how you meant it. Dwayne will-"

Dwayne himself interrupted David's sentence, hurrying back into the cave "She's gone."

"Well she couldn't have gotten far - she doesn't know how to control the flying yet," David sighed.

"Nah, man, she took the car," Dwayne admitted with a wince.

The look on David's face screamed ' _of course she did'_.

"I didn't even know she could drive," Paul stared at Dwayne incredulously.

"Me n' Dwayne can go look for her on the bikes. You stay here in case she comes back," Marko offered, standing and shrugging his jacket on.

"There's no time," David's voice rang over the commotion of Paul arguing that he should go too whilst Dwayne and Marko tried to convince him otherwise.

The other three went silent and turned to David, stunned.

"The only place she could've gone is the boardwalk. We haven't got time to get there and back before the sun comes up - even if we fly," he continued grimly.

"So what, we leave her to burn?" Paul asked in disbelief.

He was wracked with guilt. He was used to being laid back, with no time for drama or anything too serious, so he had no idea how to cope with this shit, leading to frustration. That's why he'd lost his temper and snapped at her. It had all stemmed from concern that he had no idea how to show. Now he was paying the price for it.

"She's a smart girl," David ground out, trying not to show his doubts "She'll find a place to hide for the day and we'll find her tomorrow night."

"And if she doesn't?!"

"If she doesn't, she's dead and there's nothing we can do."

"David," Dwayne sighed at the harsh truth.

"Am I lying?" David's eyebrows rose.

"C'mon man, telling him his girl's dead?" Dwayne argued, putting a reassuring hand on Paul's shoulder.

"He asked what would happen if she doesn't manage to get out of the sun and I told him the truth. Same thing that will happen to us if we go after her. I don't think she is dead! I think she'll hole up somewhere for the day and be fine," David shrugged "I like the girl when she's not catatonic, but if I've gotta be a dick to be the voice of reason around here, I will be."

"What if I go?" Marko offered "I know all of the hiding spots, I'll go out and look for her, hide when the sun comes up - with or without her."

"You leave now and you'll barely have time to get out of the sun, never mind find her _and then_ get out of the sun."

Dwayne and Marko shifted uncomfortably whilst Paul stared at David, distraught.

"So what, we leave her to die?" Paul's voice shook.

David sighed, exasperated "If you're so hell bent on believing she's dead, go ahead. I have more faith in Cat than you do, apparently. We'll show up tomorrow night and she'll be hiding out in the trunk of the damn car."

The others could only hope he was right.

* * *

Cat cursed, eyeing the horizon as she jogged down the boardwalk - she'd abandoned the car in an alley a few moments ago. Leaving had been a stupid move, she knew that now...she just hadn't cared at the time. Realising how soon the sunrise was had sobered her up significantly. This was about survival. She did her best to scan the boardwalk for potential safe spots as she ran, but she found none. All there was to be found was stores and rides. Neither were exactly low traffic areas.

Her heartbeat pounding in her ears, Cat continued to run, and then her mind flickered to a few nights ago when Paul had broken them into the hotel rooms. Not able to waste time considering the pros and cons of the option, she hopped over the boardwalk railings and then broke into a sprint down the beach. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the sky was lightening and her exposed skin was starting to tingle, like a mild sunburn.

Finally, she reached the doors to the room she'd stayed in with Sophie and Bryana. The curtains were open and the beds were freshly made - housekeeping had already been, meaning unless the room was already booked again, she wouldn't be disturbed. Hoping the glass doors reflected the price of the room, she punched the glass, hard, just beside the lock. It cracked but didn't give way.

" _Shit, shit, shit, shit_ ," Cat chanted, chancing another glance at the horizon.

It wasn't looking good. Punching again, harder this time, she gave a groan of pain at the damage it did to her knuckles. The glass cracked even more, but still didn't smash. Her skin was starting to feel uncomfortably hot now. Breathing hard, Cat moved back a few paces before driving the heel of her boot into the damaged glass as hard as she could. To her relief, it finally smashed, creating a hole in the door.

She slipped her hand through, wincing when the glass scraped against her bare arm, and unlocked the doors. Within seconds she was in, closing the curtains behind her. She grabbed a quilt from one of the beds and dragged it into the tiny bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it. After she'd jammed a towel against the space underneath to door to block out any light, she curled up in the corner between the shower and the wall. Wrapping the quilt around herself, she only then let herself think about what had happened.

Cat had no idea if Paul had meant what he'd said. Part of her couldn't blame him if he had. Perhaps she'd finally become more trouble than what she was worth. Maybe he was bored of being patient and understanding. After all, things had changed a lot from how they'd been a week ago. Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, Cat let her head fall back against the wall behind her. She couldn't afford to lose her cool. Not now. But her mind wouldn't stop whirring with endless scenarios - what would she do if Paul had meant what he'd said? She couldn't return to London, not now. They'd already set things in motion to set up her "disappearance", trying to undo it all now would end badly. That wasn't even the biggest obstacle. She was a damn _vampire_ now. Returning home simply wasn't an option any more.

She supposed she could travel the USA. Find a new city to set up in - somewhere like LA or even New York. But how? She was barely used to being a vampire and she knew she couldn't get by on her own...but would the rest of the Lost Boys really let her stick around if Paul didn't want her there? Hurt flared through her chest at that thought. The only thing that had stopped her from completely falling apart was the idea that all of it had been for _something_. That maybe, at some point in time, she could be happy with Paul and her new "brothers" and perhaps even that Santa Carla was where she belonged. She'd fallen in love with the town, after all, regardless of how different it was from Britain.

Her head was still swimming, and she pulled the quilt tighter around her, resting her forehead on her knees.

"Be strong," her mother had told her.

Was huddling in a bathroom, high on painkillers and crying _strong_? It wasn't. Cat just didn't know if she had the strength that her mother had told her to use. She briefly wondered what a strong person would do in her position. Exact revenge upon the Lost Boys? The thought made her insides twist uncomfortably. She'd never be able to do that. It wasn't in her. Leave Santa Carla? She might not have a choice in that. Make things work with Paul? Well that entirely depended upon whether he even wanted to make things work.

What if it had all been one big mistake? Maybe she wasn't his soulmate. Perhaps he'd been wrong, and that night he'd realised he'd made one big awful mistake. Sure, she'd felt something from the very beginning, but hell, he was charming and funny and hot. Who wouldn't? What if, to him, she'd just been some fling that he'd gotten a little to caught up in and now was paying for it? What did she really have to offer him? Fresh tears ran down her cheeks.

She managed to catch herself just before she cursed out loud. If she was caught in here, she was a dead woman. She'd be lucky enough if nobody noticed the way the glass doors were smashed. If it was noticed, it would surely be reported and then there'd be security banging on the door...They'd probably eventually ram it down, and then she'd burn. Cat gave a snort. Wouldn't that be typical? She'd done so much shit in the past week, mostly for her own survival, and in the end it might only be leading up to her dying in a damn bathroom.

All she could do now was wait for the day to pass and hope she'd live to see the night. She didn't even know why she was so scared at the idea of death. What did she truly have left if not the Lost Boys? Nothing. Perhaps she'd be better off opening the damn door herself and just burning. But no matter how much she tried to convince herself of that, fear still gnawed at her whenever she thought she heard somebody get remotely close to the hotel room.

It was going to be a long day.


	26. Chapter 26

Cat didn't think she'd be able to sleep, but she spent the day drifting in and out of consciousness. In a pitch black room with nothing to do but think, sleep was surprisingly easy to come by. She lost track of how long she'd been awake and how long she'd been asleep. Her eyes would fly open every so often, and she had no idea if she'd been sleeping for minutes or for hours. It was a very disconcerting feeling.

She was just beginning to work up the courage to crack open the door and see if the sun had gone down when she heard the glass doors slam open in the next room. Scrambling to her feet, Cat's heart lept into her throat as she pressed her back against the fall and listened, doing her best to be silent. Holding her breath, she began to wish she'd kept Paul's knife on her. There was only one set of footsteps, moving around the room, from one bed to the other by the sounds of it. Then they got louder, nearing the door.

The next few moments felt like an hour. The door handle rattled, then silence fell. Just as Cat was beginning to convince herself that whoever it was had left, there was a loud _bang_ and the door flew open, the frame splintering. Cat let out a shriek of panic, but then stopped when the person entered the bathroom. Paul stood in the doorway, dishevelled and looking like he hadn't slept at all during the day. Cat visibly sagged with relief, leaning against the wall and letting out the breath she'd been holding in.

She watched him warily as he stared back, breathing heavily as though he'd been sprinting up and down the boardwalk. It then occurred to Cat that he might have been. Before she could even begin to consider how to react, Paul moved towards her (it only really took one step considering how small the room was) and pulled her into his embrace, his arms wrapping tightly around her. She could hear his heart thudding rapidly in his chest.

" _Never_ ," he breathed "Do that again."

Almost automatically, her arms wrapped around him and she leaned into the hug, allowing herself to relax for the first time in twelve hours.

"I wasn't thinking," she admitted quietly.

"Me either," he sighed, the apology behind his words clear.

"...Are we okay?" her question was muffled by his jacket.

"I want us to be. Do you?"

"I think last night showed that we can't go on like that..." she sighed "It's not good for anybody."

She sighed before reluctantly taking a step back so she could meet his gaze "My mum...my mum told me to be strong. So that's what I'm going to do. David was right - but don't told him I said that - this all has to be for _something_. So it will be, I've decided. I'm going to be happy."

"With me?" he was grinning like a child on Christmas morning.

"No, with David," she dead-panned before sighing and running a hand through her hair "I can't promise you I'm going to be all smiles and cheer. Not with what just happened. But...I want to get through it and I want us to be together."

"We start over?"

"No. We pick up where we left off a week ago."

"So I can kiss you again?"

"I'll be pissed if you don't."

It took him a split second to close the gap between them, his hand cupping the side of her face to tilt her head upwards. Amusement flickered in his eyes, but before he could make a joke about how short she was, Cat moved to balance on her tip-toes and pressed her lips to his. The second their lips met, a low groan sounded in the back of Paul's throat, but before Cat could pull away to make a cocky comment about it, he deepened the kiss and moved his hands to her hips, guiding her backwards so that she was sandwiched between him and the wall. Cat moved her arms up, wrapping them around his neck to help her keep her balance. Getting the message, Paul moved his hands downwards and hoisted her thighs up around his hips so that their faces were now level, all without breaking the kiss.

When they finally broke apart for air, Paul moved his attention to her neck.

"Shit," she gasped when his teeth grazed her skin, tilting her head so that her neck was bared "Bedroom?"

"You sure?"

"I won't be if you don't stop being so wary," she gave a breathy laugh.

"Hold on," he ordered, walking backwards away from the wall, supporting all of her weight.

For a moment, his boots got caught in the quilt that still lay on the bathroom floor and he stumbled, nearly toppling the both of them over. Cat gave a shriek, moving to stand, but Paul's grip only tightened on her thighs.

"I got you!" he reassured with a grin.

"Smooth," she teased, but she couldn't help but grin back.

For the first time in days, she felt like she definitely could be happy with her new life. It wouldn't be immediate, and things were definitely going to be difficult, but for once she felt like she actually stood a chance.

* * *

"You're uncharacteristically quiet."

They lay on the bed, the sheets over them, Paul on his back and Cat on her stomach, cushioned by his chest.

"I can't believe you're ready to move on and patch things up already," he admitted quietly, moving his arm so it was wrapped around her, his fingertips tracing lazy circles on her back.

"I just spent the day thinking I'd have to leave Santa Carla and go it alone. It was a hell of a wake-up call. Then I realise how pissed off my mum would be if she knew I was giving up without a fight."

"Why would you leave?" he frowned at her.

"If you had meant what you said - and I know you didn't - I wouldn't exactly be welcome."

"Bullshit!" Paul gave a bark of laughter "I think Dwayne likes you more than me."

"Bullshit," Cat echoed, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, so as much as, _at least_ ," Paul compromised "He'd definitely kick my ass if I scared you off."

"Why?"

Paul shifted slightly, and looked at her thoughtfully, as though unsure if he should reply honestly or not and then eventually sighed "You'll find out anyway at some point. He had a younger sister, back when he was mortal."

"I thought you said none of you had anybody when you were turned?"

"We didn't."

"...Oh."

"Yeah," he sighed, hand moving up to tangle itself in her hair "She died young. Got sick, I think. Medicine wasn't what it is now. He doesn't talk about it, but I'm guessin' you remind him of her, which is why he took to you so quick. He's got a sister again now."

"I'm not her."

"He knows that. And he ain't your brother - well, not the one you had back in Britain," his hand went back to rubbing her back when her jaw clenched at his use of the past tense "He misses his sister, you miss your brother. I ain't saying you could use each other as replacements, but you both get it, y'know?"

She nodded quietly before sighing.

"I _wrestled_ Marko last week," she reminded him, changing the subject and looking up at him and arching an eyebrow "He can't like me for that."

"He was impressed! Says you're stronger than you look."

She winced, remembering the way she'd jammed her elbow into his ribs.

"Stop looking for reasons for them not to like you. They all do. Do I gotta tell you that 'til I'm blue in the face? And before you bring up David - him giving you that big speech the other night means he gives a shit."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop self pitying," she gave a melodramatic sigh, breaking the serious mood "For now."

They lay there quietly for a while and Cat let her mind wander, content and warm, cuddled up against Paul.

"Did David turn all of you?" she asked quietly.

"Nah," Paul shook his head "What made you think that?"

"He's the de facto leader," she shrugged "I guess I assumed."

"He's the oldest, but he didn't turn us. Max did."

"The one who died?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Could've ended a lot worse."

Knowing that this was a heavy topic meant for another time, if ever at all, Cat left it.

"I need to get dressed. Somebody's bound to come in here sooner or later," she sighed reluctantly "Look away."

Paul didn't move, a stunned expression on his face "Look away? After what we were doin' ten minutes ago?"

"That was different. I was distracted."

"Well," he gave her a mischievous smirk "How about I distract you again?"

"How about," she murmured, shifting upwards to kiss him before continuing "You put some damn pants on? I'm starving...and anyways, if you gnaw on my neck any more you'll probably take my head off."

"Killjoy," he teased, pulling her closer to kiss her briefly again "Thank you."

"For what? Killing the joy?" she quirked an eyebrow.

"For giving me another chance," he spoke sincerely "I'm gonna make you happy."

"I know," she spoke softly with a nod.

They gazed at each other quietly for a few moments before Cat spoke again.

"But for now you're going to need to do that with your pants on."

"I'm sure I can manage that," he grinned.

 **A/N: Sorry for how short it is! I tried to make it longer, but adding more just seemed awkward and pointless. So this chapter marks the end of the first main storyline (there's two of them, unless my brain decides to give me more), so the next few chapters will still have stuff going on (fluff, Cat adjusting to vampire life & bonding with the other Lost Boys etc., time passing) but it won't be as heavy as the Bryana/Sophie stuff...until we begin the next half. Don't worry, Cat isn't completely over everything that's happened and is suddenly happy and content. That would be ridiculous. As always, thank you so much for the reviews!**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: So this is quite a filler-y chapter, but more is happening soon. I just didn't want it to be endless over-the-top drama, it would be too extreme. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! They're not the reason I write, but they certainly do motivate me :P**

* * *

"Let go," Paul urged as Cat clung to him like a koala.

"No," she refused immediately.

"Babe, you'll be fine!" he insisted as though they weren't hovering a few hundred feet in the air over the ocean "S'like learning to swim or ridin' a bike."

For the umpteenth time since she'd began to stay in the Lost Cave, Cat had woken up that day with her face pressed against the ceiling of the alcove, and so Paul had taken it upon himself to teach her how to control this new ability. She knew she had to - after all, what if she accidentally floated out of the alcove one day? She just didn't appreciate _how_ he'd decided to teach her.

"Y'know to teach me how to swim, my aunt threw me in the deep end and told me if I didn't learn quickly, I'd drown," she gave a nervous laugh, unable to peel her eyes away from the ocean below them.

"And I bet you thanked her!"

"No, she was a cow. Jamie jumped in after me when I started freaking out. I broke her nose once by accident, though," Cat always rambled when she panicked, now was no exception.

Paul gave a bark of laughter "Of course you did. You do realise I'm not even carrying any of your weight? You're already doing it, if you let go you ain't gonna fall."

"And if I don't let go, I _definitely_ won't fall," she retorted.

"I thought you were an educated chick! You like to learn new shit!"

"Yes, but if I fuck up when I'm learning about The Great Gatsby, odds are I won't die!"

"Maybe of boredom. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"It's being blocked by my survival instincts."

" _Cat_."

" _Paul_."

"It's just like walking! Just like, decide that you wanna stay where you are, and you will. If you decide you wanna go higher, you will and so on," he slowly manoeuvred them higher and then lower as he spoke to illustrate his point.

"And what if I accidentally decide to stop doing it and I fall? Like when somebody tells you not to think of a certain thing, then all you can do is think of that thing."

"When you're walkin' around, do you decide to fall over?"

"Of course not."

"So you won't! Look, even if you do - _and you won't_ \- I'm right here! I'll catch you."

Knowing that he wasn't going to give up and bring them back to solid land, Cat slowly unlocked her legs from around his hips and let them hang beneath her. He was right, it didn't feel like they were dangling helplessly, but instead they felt weightless. Still unnerved by the feeling of nothing beneath her feet, she then warily took one of her arms away from his neck. When nothing awful happened, her confidence began to build. Experimentally, she focused on moving upwards and gave a yelp of surprise when she did. This gave her the guts to take her remaining arm away from Paul - although he did grab her hand in reassurance.

"Holy _shit_ ," she laughed nervously, kicking her legs around experimentally.

Her hair was being whipped around her face from the wind, and it was freezing, but she felt amazing. She was actually flying. This was the kind of thing people dreamed about.

"This is my new favourite way to get around," she announced after a few twists and turns, getting used to the odd feeling.

"Wait 'til I teach you how to ride a bike," he gave her a grin.

"You getting sick of me riding with you?" she joked, raising an eyebrow.

"I could never get sick of being between your legs," he flirted, pulling her closer.

"Now that's what every girl dreams of hearing," she rolled her eyes, but felt her cheeks heat up, regardless.

* * *

Weeks had passed since Cat and Paul had begun to patch things up, and as guilty as Cat felt to admit it, she was adjusting. Sure, things were tough - there were times when she'd be happily hanging out with the Lost Boys, but then something would remind her of her family and her good mood would dissipate. Paul was great and unerringly patient, but she did her best to hide it from him. She couldn't deal with his guilt as well as her own.

The truth was, the longer she spent with Paul, the more she believed the whole "soulmate" spiel. Not that she'd ever thought they had been lying to her when they explained it, but she was beginning to understand it. Everything about him seemed to make her happy in some way or another - whether it amused her (like his awful, cheesy jokes), comforted her (like the way he always seemed to be touching her in some way or another) or just made her even more attracted to him (like the feeling of his stubble against her skin). They just seemed to work. She took most things too seriously and he took very little seriously. She had a habit of being too insecure whilst he was quite possibly the cockiest person she'd ever met.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when a pizza box was dropped into her lap.

"I don't get it," Paul eyed the vegetables on her pizza like they were poison "That's like a freakin' salad, man."

"Have you ever _seen_ a salad?" she laughed, flicking a mushroom slice at him.

"I make a point of avoiding them," he launched the mushroom at Marko who shrugged at put it on his own pizza "So you'll eat _people_ but not cows? Or chicken? I don't understand you, babe."

"Women are meant to be loved, not understood," she sniffed...and then flicked another mushroom at him when he wasn't looking.

"Oscar Wilde said that," David called over from where he sat.

"Damn it," she joked "Can't I plagiarise in peace?"

"Only when you plagiarise people I haven't met," he shrugged and then laughed when Cat's eyes widened to the size of the pizzas they were eating.

"You've met Oscar Wilde?" she stared at him in amazement "Holy shit! What was he like?!"

She knew the Lost Boys had been around for a while, and David the longest, but hearing things like that really put it into perspective.

"An ass," he shrugged.

Cat groaned, letting her head fall back "You're destroying all of my dreams here, David. Y'know, he seems like the type that would've killed to become a vampire."

"I know," a smug grin played on David's face, as if to say ' _that's why I never turned him_ '.

She laughed and shook her head, still dumbfounded.

"You like his books?" David asked.

"I love them - he was the only classic author that.." she trailed off and her smile faltered slightly, she'd been about to say he was the only classic author that her mother hadn't found boring, but she quickly continued "That wasn't tedious to study at uni."

"What else did you read?"

"A _lot_ of Shakespeare - did you meet him too?" she joked, but there was a sinking feeling in her chest now that her family was on her mind.

"You callin' me old?" he raised an eyebrow in mock-offence.

"I feel like a damn toddler in this cave," she snorted.

"Which says some pretty grim things about Paul," Marko added with a grin and Cat choked on her pizza (his dark sense of humour caught her off guard at times) whilst Dwayne and David laughed and Paul scowled.

"I ain't old!" Paul protested "I've just been twenty-four for a really long time."

"A really, really, _really,_ long time," Marko teased with a grin.

That was the way Cat saw them. Eternally young, not old people stuck in young bodies. It wasn't as though any of the Lost Boys had exactly matured since they were turned. Sure, they were dangerous, but most of the time they were like big kids. Sleeping all day, partying all night.

Taking a swig from the bottle of whiskey that had been wedged between her and Paul, she did her best to get her good mood back. It pissed her off that it was so difficult for her to cheer up again after her mind wandering to her family for only a few seconds, but once it wandered there it was hard for her to block the thoughts out again. They'd know she was missing by now. They would've known for a while. They might have even done one of those depressing appeals for the news shows, but it would never reach Santa Carla. People in Santa Carla had become almost desensitised to the disappearances, they were that common at this point. Even so, the mental image of her mother and Jamie, surrounded by cameras, eyes red-rimmed and looking exhausted.

"This shit's strong," she lied, trying to ignore the lump building in her throat and wincing at the bottle of whiskey "I'm gonna go get some air."

She knew she only had seconds before tears would begin to build in her eyes.

"Want me to come?" Paul asked, moving to put his pizza to the side.

"No, it's fine," she waved a hand, hoping she didn't appear too shaky "I won't be long."

She only allowed herself to let go once she'd gone up the wooden stairs and sat down on the cliff-side, legs dangling over the edge. She knew she was out of earshot there. This had become a regular occurrence - she wouldn't cry hysterically, but moreso went through brief sobbing fits. Every time it happened she found an excuse to leave (if she was in the cave, she said she needed air, if they were at the boardwalk, she'd say she was going off to find a bathroom), allow herself to cry it out and then return once she was sure it didn't look like she'd been crying. She was positive none of them had noticed, and for that she was grateful. The last thing she wanted was to be pitied.

The cold night air bit at her bare arms, but she enjoyed it. It was sobering, allowing her to think clearly and preventing her from falling into hysterics.

"You're fine, you're okay," she murmured to herself after a few minutes, rubbing furiously at her eyes.

"Beg to differ."

Cat jumped so high that for a moment she went to scramble away from the cliff-side in case she went over. Then she sighed and settled again, staring at her shoes.

"Do the others know?" she asked reluctantly, running a hand through her hair as Dwayne sat beside her.

"You think Paul would still be in the cave if he knew?"

"Touché."

"Y'know nobody expects you to be happy all the time. We ain't gonna judge you for getting upset."

Dwayne was a man, or vampire, of few words - when he spoke he got straight to the point, and Cat was grateful for that.

"I know," she admitted "But Paul feels guilty enough as it is. I don't want anyone walking on eggshells around me just because I get upset at crap like the thought of my mum's favourite author. It's just difficult. When David mentioned he met Oscar Wilde I thought 'oh shit, my mum'll freak out when I tell her!'...and then I remembered."

Her voice broke and tears sprang to her eyes again "Oh, fucking hell. I'm being ridiculous."

"You'd be ridiculous if you weren't upset," Dwayne corrected simply, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders, which made her feel tiny considering how he dwarfed her.

"And how long until I feel...less awful?"

"Compare how you are now to how you were a month ago," Dwayne shrugged "You're not gonna wake up one night suddenly feeling better. It's gradual."

"I might have to employ you as my therapist," she joked, blinking back the tears as the lump in her throat began to disappear.

He was right. Things had been improving. Surely they would continue that way.

Dwayne chuckled at that "I'll give you the family discount. C'mon. I'm going on a booze run. You can come along and calm down. If you go back to the cave like this, Paul'll think I traumatized you out here."

Cat gave a quiet, genuine laugh and accepted his help up. The embarrassment at being caught crying was worth how quickly her new brother had managed to cheer her up.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Sorry for the delay and the short length! I've been sick, so sleeping took priority over writing, sadly. Mostly fluffy filler type stuff, but I hope you guys like this one!**

* * *

Cat didn't know she talked in her sleep. At least, Paul assumed she didn't know. He'd first found out about it a few weeks after she'd begun staying in the Lost Cave.

" _We need to go now," she'd mumbled into his chest._

" _Go? Where?" he'd frowned, not quite fully awake yet._

" _We're late already! The sun's been up for two hours!"_

" _We'll never catch the bloody fox at this rate!" she'd sighed and that was when he'd realised and started to laugh._

It wasn't a daily occurrence, so when she started that evening, it took him a few seconds to realise she wasn't awake when she began mumbling.

"Huh?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes.

"Don't tell Paul," she sighed quietly, which jolted him awake pretty damn quickly.

"Don't tell Paul what?" his heart sank and he sat up slowly, doing his best not to wake her up - if she woke up, he'd never get an answer.

"Shhhh," she insisted, rolling over and burying her face in the pillow.

"Yeah, yeah," he continued quietly, and as convincingly as he could "I ain't gonna tell him. What don't you want me to tell him, Cat?"

Was there something wrong? Had something happened? What could she possibly be hiding from him? His heart sank. Was she going to try and leave again?

"That I love him," from her tone, he could tell that she if she was awake she'd be rolling her eyes at him.

"You do?" he stared at her, amazed, but she didn't respond, once again fast asleep.

He had no idea how to take her confession. Did she mean it? Last time she'd talked in her sleep, she'd been very solemnly discussing her pet fish and how she wanted to take it to a water park, and he'd since then found out she didn't even have a pet fish, so the shit she said in her sleep was hardly concrete. But still, it was something.

Immediately ideas and plans began to reel through his mind. She wasn't going to regret staying with him, he'd make sure of it.

* * *

"If there's one thing you Americans can't do," Cat grumbled as they stood on the Boardwalk that night, wrinkling her nose at the cup in her hand "It's make a good cup of tea."

"My heart bleeds for you," David smirked.

"Good! It should. What's immortality worth when you can't spend it drinking good tea?" she gave a melodramatic sigh, dumping the mostly full paper cup into a nearby bin.

"Am I not worth it?" Paul asked teasingly, pulling her closer.

He'd been in an even better mood than usual all evening, practically bouncing off the cave walls and unable to keep his hands off of her. She enjoyed it - although she'd never verbally admit that - but she had no idea why he was being this way. Her cheeks blazed at the memory of the wake-up call he'd given her that evening and she shook her head to dispel the thoughts.

"I _really_ love tea, Paul," she shot back, mock-offended, giving a squeal of laughter when he moved to tickle her in retaliation.

"Tea ranks above me? _Tea_? A freakin' drink?" Paul pretended to clutch at his heart "I'm wounded, babe. Really."

"Come on," she teased "Third place is good. You'd get a bronze medal!"

"Third?! Who's second?"

"Y'know..." she gave a cheeky grin "That stray cat that lives in the alley-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Paul gave a sigh, as though what he was about to do was inevitable, and quite literally swept her off her feet and moved to begin walking in the direction of the hotel.

"What are you doing?!" Cat gave a shriek of surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck so he couldn't drop her.

"Goin' for gold!" he announced as though it were obvious

"Hate to interrupt the honeymoon, but we need to feed first," David reminded them before Paul could take another step.

Paul sighed and slowly let her legs down and Cat did her best not to blush at his display. What on Earth had gotten into him? Was he high? She doubted it. But what had brought on this sudden burst of affection?

"Let's go eat then!" Paul urged, ignoring the curious look all four of them were fixing him with.

When the curious gazes turned to Cat she shrugged helplessly.

* * *

Blood was like a drug to vampires. Sure, it wasn't as bad as it was for drug addicts - their every thought of every night didn't revolve around blood or when they were next going to feed, but when the time approached for them to slake their first? It was unlike anything Cat had ever experienced. It started off gradually. Every so often her mind would flicker to the fact that she'd be feeding that night and it was like a count down - two more hours 'til they'd be at the boardwalk, three or four more hours 'til they found dinner and so on. Her feet would tap against the floor of the cave and her fingertips would drum against any surface available to try and exert the anxious energy.

By the time they'd get to the boardwalk, it was like an itch that she couldn't quite scratch and her mind was focused almost solely on the matter at hand - finding a suitable group of victims. There wasn't much of a criteria, other than they needed to be able to get them alone, so that was easy enough. Once they found a suitable bunch the excitement and anticipation would kick in. Immediately prior to feeding came the pure excitement and anticipation. During that time it was rare to see one of them without a predatory smile or smirk on their face. All she was capable of focusing on at that point was the fact that the blood was so close she could practically taste it already. The anticipation always built up so much that by the time they made their move and the blood was flooding her mouth, it was utter euphoria. Things would become a blur after that, she'd only be fully aware of what was going on later, when her clothes were torn, there was blood everywhere and she was struggling to catch her breath.

The next few hours after feeding were the best. Every sense was sharper, every sensation increased in intensity. That was usually when she and Paul would pounce on each other, often barely having the willpower to control themselves long enough to make it back to the cave. It was a macabre little routine, and part of her was frightened by how easily she'd settled into it. She supposed she had David to thank for that.

This "routine" was how, hours later, she found herself on one of the hotel room beds (the cave had seemed all too far away), breathless and dazed.

"Holy shit," she murmured, trying to regain control of her breathing.

"You can say that again."

" _Holy shit_."

"So...Gold medal?" Paul asked from her side, she could hear the grin in his voice.

"Platinum."

"Ha! All right!"

"Where the fuck did that come from?" she gave a breathless laugh.

"Where did what come from?"

She rolled onto her side and eyed him "Don't play dumb. You've been acting like somebody slipped you a viagra all night. Not that I'm complaining."

"Is that another age joke?"

"No, that's you avoiding the question."

"Since when did I need an excuse to appreciate my girl?"

"I'm going to figure it out, you know. But until then...I need to shower."

Cat gave a sigh and then shifted to stand...before pausing and flopping back down into the bed.

"What is it?"

"You're going to be so fucking smug," she laughed, shaking her head.

" _Babe_ ," he laughed "What's up?"

"My legs are a little bit weak at the moment," she closed her eyes with an amused smile "I don't know what's made you this happy, but I hope it continues."

"So do I."

His tone practically screamed " _I know something you don't know_ " but she left it, knowing she was getting no answers out of him for the time being. He was being uncharacteristically tight-lipped. Letting out a sigh, Cat tensed her legs and once she was sure they no longer felt like jelly, she rolled out of the bed. She got to the bathroom doorway before she paused and turned back to him. He lay sprawled out on the bed, a hand behind his head, gazing at her appreciatively with a smile playing on his lips. Cat felt her cheeks blaze and briefly wondered if there would ever be a time when his behaviour failed to make her blush. She hoped not.

She only just managed to catch her next sentence before it escaped her lips and she faltered. She'd been a split second away from telling him she loved him. Instead of ruining a good moment by dwelling on it, she took a few quick strides towards the bed, seized his hand and dragged him towards the shower with her, silently resolving to think about _that_ revelation later.

* * *

 **A/N: A bit filler-y, but I'm just setting stuff up for the events of the next chapter or two :) please review and thank you so much, as always, to those who did!**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thanks for the lovely reviews! I know I sound like a broken record, but I don't want to seem ungrateful!**

* * *

A few nights later, Cat paced the cave impatiently. Getting out of bed without waking Paul up had been easy enough - he slept like the dead most days - but she wouldn't be amused if her getting up early had been for nothing, which it would be if he woke up before one of the others.

"Finally!" Cat sighed in relief when Marko surfaced from the Lost Boys' 'bedroom'.

"Not that I'm complaining about the welcome, but what's up?" Marko raised an eyebrow at her, looking like he was still half-asleep.

"I've been waiting for one of you to wake up for like an hour now," she admitted sheepishly "I need a favour."

"I see how it is - you're using me!" he teased, but there was a gleam of curiosity in his eye now "What do you need from one of us that Paul can't help you with?"

"Well, you know how I'm your absolute favourite sister?"

"You're my only sister."

"Which makes me your favourite. I need you to cover for me," she bit her lip "I need to go take care of something, but Paul can't know about it just yet, so I need you to keep him distracted while I'm gone."

"And what will I get in return for helping you?" his tone was far from serious, but she rolled her eyes and played along anyway.

"My undying gratitude...The knowledge that you know something Paul doesn't..." she sighed and then shrugged "I'll buy you a beer or something."

"Good enough," he nodded "What do I tell him?"

"Anything. Be creative."

"You're going to regret saying that," he shook his head with a smile.

"Well _obviously_ don't tell him I went out for a romantic dinner with the Frog brothers or some shit," she shrugged on her jacket with a joking grin "That's what I'm doing _next_ week, anyway."

"Fine, I'll tell him you're applying to work at a strip club instead."

"You say that like it wouldn't delight him," she joked with a grin, making her way towards the cave entrance "Seriously though, thank you! You have all of my gratitude."

"That enough for you to tell me where you're actually going?"

"Not quite."

* * *

She was back in the cave within an hour, but everybody else was already awake.

"Babe!" Paul greeted upon her reappearance and flung a joint in her direction "Wake and bake?"

"Just what I intended my university education to lead up to," she smirked, catching it and pulling a lighter from her pocket.

"What happened to your hand?" David frowned, gesturing to the bandage wrapped neatly around the lower part of one of the fingers on her left hand.

"I hurt it," her words were muffled by the joint as she lit it.

"...When you were out walking?" Marko subtly supplied her with the excuse he'd given.

"Yeah," she nodded "I...uh...punched a tree."

She winced at how awful her own excuse was before it even left her lips and the Lost Boys stared at her in disbelief.

"You _punched_ a _tree_?" Marko echoed.

"Yeah."

"And you only hurt one finger?" David frowned.

"Well if you want me to go back and do a better job, I will," she shrugged her jacket off and fell onto the couch beside Paul.

"If that's the part of your hand that you hurt when you punch someone, you're punching wrong," Paul murmured, grabbing her hand and splaying out her fingers with a frown.

"Where'd you get the bandage from, anyway?" Marko raised his eyebrows, taking far too much joy in putting her on the spot.

"You know me, always prepared," she gave him an unamused look.

Clearly hiding this surprise was going to be more difficult than she thought...and next time, she'd ask Dwayne to cover for her.

* * *

 _Two Weeks Later_

"Can I ask you something?" Cat bit her lip, turning her head towards Dwayne from where she'd been browsing through the stack of books, trying to decide what she'd read next.

They were the only two awake so far. Cat's nightmares had lessened, but they still woke her up from time to time, and that was one of those times. When they didn't interfere with her sleep, she and Paul were usually the last ones up. Mainly because even when they did wake up, they continued to lounge around together in the alcove and their brothers were too worried about catching an eyeful to chance opening the curtains to tell them to hurry their asses up so they could leave for the boardwalk.

"Sure," he nodded slowly, blinking in surprise.

At his agreement she stood and made her way over to sit opposite him.

"It's about Paul...Have you..." she sighed and closed her eyes briefly before forcing the sentence out "Have you noticed that he seems to be targeting a lot of girls lately? Like, more than what could be a coincidence?"

It had been a few weeks since she'd admitted to herself that she loved Paul, but since then things had gotten strange. He was just as affectionate as ever, but at times his behaviour was odd. They'd be on the boardwalk and she'd be talking to him about nothing of great importance, only to realise he'd been oddly unresponsive. Then when she'd look at him, she'd see that his attention was fixed on some other girl - usually one who was dramatically overdressed considering she was on a beach full of stoners and criminals. It had happened three times before Cat had let it bother her. Then the odd feeding behaviour began and she was driving herself insane with the over-thinking it caused.

"What are you getting at, Cat?" Dwayne chuckled, shaking his head "You think he's cheating?"

"No!...No," she shook her head "I just...I don't _know_. Whenever we get a group, he chooses the girl straight away. I know he's not _cheating_ but I am worried that he might be...losing interest."

"You're blind, sister," Dwayne's eyebrows rose "You know how that idiot feels about you. It's sickening to witness, actually."

"But now the chase is over! The drama is done, that's it sorted, we're together forever. Maybe he's getting bored."

"Finding a new neck to bite?" he teased and then stopped when Cat didn't laugh, but instead shifted uncomfortably "You've got nothing to worry about, sister. You should know that. He probably doesn't even realise he's doing it."

"I hope not," Cat sighed, wrapping her arms around herself.

She hadn't been walking around with a face full of make-up lately, and her time certainly wasn't being spent preening herself to perfection, sure, but that was because attempting to look glamorous was made difficult by the fact that they lived in a _cave_. Cat had assumed it hadn't bothered him, hell, he certainly acted like he found her attractive, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Want me to talk to him?" Dwayne offered with a shrug, shooting a curious look towards the alcove where Paul slept on.

"No, no," she shook her head with a laugh that fell flat "This isn't your problem. I'm just being paranoid, I'm sure."

* * *

"I've got something I want to show you later," Cat smiled as they loitered on the boardwalk later that night, messing nervously with the label on her beer "A surprise."

She still hadn't revealed the big reason she'd had Marko cover for her a couple of weeks prior. She'd intended to show Paul a few nights later, but that was when his odd behaviour had begun and taken over her attention. The others had been getting even more suspicious, though - if it was just a scrape like she'd implied, it would have been healed the next night. There was no reason for her finger to still be bandaged. Dwayne's confidence that she had nothing to worry about had reassured her, however, and so she didn't see any reason to put it off any longer.

"Cool," he nodded, his response surprisingly flat.

Cat frowned, having been expecting a far more curious reaction, and glanced up at him and then pursed her lips when she saw that his attention, yet again, was on a girl across the boardwalk. She wondered if he'd even heard a word she'd said.

"I've been planning it for weeks."

"Uh-huh," he was eyeing the blonde intently.

"I'm going to do the can-can naked on top of the _Giant Dipper_."

The Lost Boys were very amused by this, but Paul's attention continued to be elsewhere. Cat sighed and crossed her arms, her beer resting against her elbow.

"I'm cheating on you with Marko," she spoke casually, but hurt and annoyance was forming in an uncomfortable ball in her chest.

Marko choked on his beer before snickering, eyeing her in disbelief and David's eyebrows rose in amusement at the entire situation, but Dwayne's brow was furrowed, clearly thinking back on their conversation that evening. Still, Paul failed to react.

"We're going to elope to Las Vegas, make our fortune from gambling," she continued, but then stopped, shaking her head and clenching her jaw when he still paid her no mind.

"I'll treat you right, Cat," Marko joked in a blatant effort to diffuse the situation.

"Well you've heard a word I've said in the last ten minutes, so that's a start," she muttered, shrugging Paul's arm off from around her shoulders and making her way towards one of the many stalls on the boardwalk to sift through the band t-shirts.

She wasn't annoyed by the possibility of him noticing that some other girl was attractive - that would be ridiculous and petty. As long as he didn't act on it, she was happy. Half of the bands that played on the boardwalk weekly were full of hot guys, so she'd be a hypocrite to be annoyed. But blatantly ignoring her to check out another girl? Especially right in front of her? That was going too far. She'd worry that she was being too sensitive, but she'd seen the way Dwayne had frowned at Paul. She wasn't the only one who thought he was being an ass, evidently.

Eyeing a _KISS_ shirt for a few moments, she slung it over her arm to buy later and continued to browse. She hated the fact that it had bothered her. The first time it had happened, she'd laughed it off, the second time it had bothered her a little, and every time after that it just made her insecurities flare up. It seemed to happen multiple times a night now and she wanted to know what had triggered it - a week or two ago it was like he didn't even seem to realise that other girls existed, but now he could barely keep his eyes off of them. She knew it wasn't the girl's fault, and in a rational state of mind she never would have thought ill of the stranger for having Paul's attention, but she couldn't help but clench her jaw in annoyance when she let her gaze wander from the rack of t-shirts to the pretty blonde. This was why when the girl moved to walk past her, Cat stuck her foot out and tripped her up.

One of the many perks of being a vampire was fast reflexes, so she was out of the way before anybody mortal could realise it had been her fault, but the Lost Boys' laughter sounded loud and clear over the girl's yelp of pain as she clutched at her grazed knee. It was petty, but it made Cat smirk to herself as she paid for the t-shirt and tucked it partially into the back pocket of her jeans.

"Feeling better?" David raised an eyebrow in amusement when she returned.

"No. But it was funny," she shrugged and then snorted at the proud gleam in his eyes.

She ignored the baffled look on Paul's face. The nagging feeling had returned to the back of her mind, it was time to feed.

As though reading her mind, David spoke up "All right, let's go. I'm fuckin' parched."

* * *

"Dibs on the chick," Dwayne murmured when they came upon the unlucky group they'd chosen.

"C'mon man, that's not fair!" Paul protested and Cat shot Dwayne a look of alarm, brow furrowing.

She knew that Dwayne had only said what he had in some kind of effort to prove her wrong about her worries, but Paul's reaction had been far from reassuring. They rarely cared about _who_ they fed on, as long as they fed. In most cases they just grabbed whoever was closest when they made their move, so why was he so hell bent on nabbing the one girl in the group?

"And why are you so desperate for her, huh?" Dwayne pushed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Paul, why?" Cat wanted her tone to sound casual and uninterested, but instead it sounded snappy and offended.

"I just, uh, I..." he trailed off and shook his head with a rare scowl "I don't. S'no big deal. Dwayne can have her."

"Whatever," Cat muttered with a frown before striding forward towards the group of mortals, grabbing the nearest one and sinking her teeth into his neck.

Feeding may have been fucked up in many ways, but it was a great way to relieve tension.

* * *

 **A/N: So...Cat's up to something...but so is Paul...and now there's trouble in paradise *dramatic music***


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Holy shit, chapter 30! I got a review calling this one of the best Lost Boys fics they'd read, which put a smile on my face for a few days straight. I'm enjoying writing this so much, so I'm delighted you guys enjoy reading it! I'm sorry for the delay, blocks are a bitch.**

* * *

"Paul."

Paul frowned as Dwayne caught his arm just before he went to follow Cat into the alcove.

"Yeah, man, what's up?" Paul shifted impatiently, glancing back to where Cat was with a frown.

"Bad time?" Dwayne asked unsurely.

"Nah, just think Cat's upset again. Maybe she's gettin' homesick."

"You think that's why she's upset?" Dwayne raised an eyebrow, with a look of amused exasperation.

Paul frowned and walked further away from the alcove, leading Dwayne with him "You know somethin' I don't?"

"Look man, this is your shit. I don't wanna stir anything up or-"

"If Cat's upset, I wanna know why," Paul insisted.

"It might have something to do with the fact that whenever she spoke to you tonight, you didn't hear any of it because you were too busy checking out other chicks," Dwayne shrugged disapprovingly.

"Don't wanna stir anything up, huh?" Paul frowned "What are you talking about, man?"

"You know I wouldn't say anything if I didn't think it mattered." Dwayne challenged "You were being weird, man. What's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Dwayne gave Paul a look of disbelief and he gave in with a sigh.

"It wasn't what it looked like," Paul sighed honestly "I was lookin' at the chick, yeah. I wasn't checking her out."

"She's upset, Paul," Dwayne sighed "It did look weird. She was all excited trying to tell you about some surprise for you and you didn't hear a word of it."

Paul felt guilt flood his chest. No wonder she'd denied his advances after they'd fed. He just couldn't believe she thought he might actually be interested in some other chick.

"All right, you gotta swear you won't say anything to her," Paul led Dwayne yet further away from the alcove and emptied his pockets, displaying the contents in his palms

Dwayne's eyebrows rose and then he gave a small laugh "Now that's not what I expected."

"See!" Paul retorted "I ain't up to nothin' bad."

"I'm sorry," Dwayne lifted his hands in surrender "I was worried. She came to me all upset...That, though...I'm happy for you, man."

"I know it can't mean nothin', but it's the tradition, right?"

"So traditional when it comes to Cat, huh?"

"Screw you," Paul snorted, shaking his head "I gotta go do damage control with this shit."

When he got to the alcove, he expected Cat to be awake – perhaps reading or still changing, but she was now clad in one of his band tees and a pair of his boxers, fast asleep. Or at least pretending to be in order to avoid him. Quietly, he undressed.

Paul sighed and climbed onto the mattress, tentatively wrapping an arm around her. She tensed slightly but then relaxed. Spurred on by the lack of rejection, he pressed his lips in a lingering kiss to the tattoo on the back of her neck, and then let his teeth graze the side of her neck, as if to remind her of how they were bound together. That, however, was as far as he took it. All tension left Cat at this and she leaned back into him. Content that things were fine for now, Paul let his head fall onto the pillow, an arm still wrapped tightly around her.

* * *

Cat woke up feeling surprisingly determined. She'd been thinking when Paul had returned to the alcove that morning. If Paul was forgetting how damn attractive he'd found her in the first place, she wouldn't stand by like some wilting flower in a crappy period drama and let it happen. She'd simply have to remind him, in his language.

Ducking out underneath his arms, she stood and moved to the old chest that she'd taken to keeping her clothes in. Pulling out a lace purple bra, she shrugged off Paul's shirt and clasped the bra on. She was reaching for a shirt when Paul's voice sounded, startling her.

"No shirt," he murmured groggily.

Cat laughed quietly and turned to him, standing up "Is that all you ever think of?"

"Mmm...I love you in that," his eyes raked over her form, clad in only a bra and a pair of his boxers, the top of her tattoo just peeking out above the waistband.

"How much?" she turned an eyebrow and mockingly posed, one hip jutting to the side.

Paul sat up, his weight on his elbows and smirked, wide awake now "Come over here and I'll show you."

Cat chuckled quietly and moved back towards the mattress, adding a sway to her hips purely for the enjoyment of seeing the look of hunger on his face. His gaze was always enough to tear the breath from her lungs, but never quite as much as when he fixed her with that look. He kicked the covers away from his legs – he'd slept in his white skinny jeans. Cat had no idea how he could possibly find that comfortable, but that train of thought disappeared as she straddled his lap and he sat up to meet her, gaze searing into hers.

Forcing all insecurities out of her mind, she toyed with the waistband of his jeans with a smirk, before skimming her fingertips upwards, over his abs, then up again over his chest. Her gaze flickered up to his face. His teeth were sunk into his bottom lip as he watched her with a mix of curiosity and anticipation, unused to Cat so openly being the initiator. His hands snaked up her thighs and rested there, thumbs rubbing slow circles on her skin. He always seemed to be warmer than her, yet another way they contrasted each other, and she loved it.

"You're fuckin' perfect, y'know," he breathed as she ducked her head down, lips attaching to the base of his neck.

"Does my bed head and dark circles turn you on?" she teased in between the lavish kisses she placed on his throat, slowly working up to his jaw.

"It drives me crazy," he chuckled and then groaned when her tongue made contact with a certain spot on his jaw "If you don't kiss me really damn soon I might have to show you."

His grip moved up to her hips, as though to emphasise his statement. She paused and looked up, hair spilling over her shoulders and tickling his chest.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" a grin spread across her lips.

"Am I sensing a _challenge_ here?" he pulled her hips against his slowly, daring her to retaliate.

Cat gasped, but moved within seconds, pressing her lips against his in a deep kiss before nipping at his lower lip and bucking her hips sharply against his "If you think you can handle it."

That was the last smart comment she managed to dish out for quite some time.

* * *

"Hey, guys, do me a solid?" Paul approached his brothers a few hours later, nervously eyeing the alcove every so often to check for any sign that Cat was waking up "Which of these do you think Cat would like most?"

Emptying his pockets, handfuls of rings spilled onto the fountain ledge, some threatening to bounce into the fountain itself before he grabbed them in time. There were all kinds, he probably had enough to set up his own jewellers.

"What the hell is this?" David's eyes widened in amusement "You rob a damn jewellery store?"

"I've been, uh, _strategic_ with my meals the past few weeks. Chose any chick wearing a lot of jewellery," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck "Had no idea what I was actually looking for, so I figured I'd just grab anything."

"And everything," Marko snorted, picking up a few of the rings before placing them back down "And is this going to be a _special_ ring?"

"You do know you guys can't get married right?" David arched an eyebrow before Paul could answer" That shit involves a lot of ID, which considering none of us are legally alive, isn't possible."

"Don't mean I can't put a ring on my girl," Paul said defensively "Now help!"

Dwayne flicked a few rings to the ground, wrinkling his nose.

"Hey, I liked that one!" Paul frowned.

"That one'll turn her finger green."

"What's going on?"

All four turned to face Cat, dishevelled but fully dressed, a scarf covering the fresh marks on her neck.

"Uh..." Paul stared at her like a deer in headlights.

"Smooth," Marko snorted, earning a dig in the ribs.

"What are those?" she tilted her head at the stash of rings.

"Accumulated them over the years," David shrugged coolly "Trying to see if any of them could bring in any cash - could pawn them off or something."

"Are we falling on hard times or something?" Cat was visibly surprised at the answer, making her way forward and kneeling beside the fountain, flicking through the rings.

"Just to put away for a rainy day."

Paul was the only one of the Lost Boys who was not visibly calm, shifting from one foot to the other and eyeing Cat nervously.

"Like any of 'em?" Marko prompted, shooting Paul a grin when he glared at him.

"Some are pretty," Cat shrugged nonchalantly - she would never outright ask for one of them if she thought they needed the cash that it would bring in.

Cat was too damn polite for her own good, in the eyes of the Lost Boys at least, and Marko had relied on that when he'd asked. She picked up one and inspected it quietly. A black pearl in a filigree setting on a silver band, a few small diamonds embedded into the design here and there.

"This one's pretty," slowly she sat it back on the ledge and ran a hand through her hair, standing up "Should bring in some cash."

"Your finger's still hurt?" Dwayne's brow furrowed, attention now on her hand "It must've been hanging off if it hasn't healed by now."

"Still a bit sore," Cat eyed the bandage on her finger before she turned back to the alcove "Anyone else feel like pizza?"

"We can go later – I'm gonna teach you how to ride," Paul announced simply.

"And he don't mean his bike," Marko snorted, with a smirk.

"She don't need no help with that, bro," Paul grinned smugly.

David and Marko burst into laughter at this, whilst Cat and Dwayne winced simultaneously, staring at Paul in horror.

" _Paul_!" Cat spluttered, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"It's a compliment, babe! I'm singin' your praises!" he defended, but with a look on his face that told her he was waiting for her to take a swing at him.

"It was too much information!" she retorted.

"Oh please," he continued to tease, clearly taking great pleasure in making her blush "You think that curtain's soundproof?"

"Do you think you're coming anywhere near me for the next few nights now?" she challenged, arching an eyebrow.

Paul's expression was one of the funniest things she'd ever seen.

" _Babe_."

"Come on then," she shrugged brightly, grinning as she left the cave and the Lost Boys began to rip into Paul with glee.

The blonde was surprisingly smug when he joined her by his bike, seconds later.

"You're cheery," she commented.

"You don't think I'm gonna change your mind?" he challenged with an easy smirk "C'mon, we'll go to the beach. Don't think learning on a cliff would be smart."

"Are you saying we might crash?"

"I'm saying I'd rather not risk it," he laughed, climbing on the bike "Get on."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Lately I've started to picture Cat as looking like Makenzie Leigh in Gotham :) I've gained quite a few new subscribers lately which is awesome! Thank you guys so much! This chapter is just fluff galore. The next story arc is coming up next, I think!**

* * *

Bikes were a lot less complicated than Cat had feared. But then, Paul's teaching wasn't exactly focused so the learning was still paced fairly slowly.

"So," Paul soldiered on from behind her on the bike "For the breaks I use to two-finger technique."

Cat gave an immature laugh, which Paul soon joined in with "Of course you do."

"It means," he nudged the inside of his thigh against the outside of hers, the denim brushing against her bare skin "That you just put two fingers on the breaks. You can use all of them if you want, don't really matter with this bike, just do what feels good."

They were gaining some confused stares from the boardwalk regulars, which hadn't escaped Cat's notice.

"People are staring," she pointed out, settling her index and middle finger of her right hand over the break.

"Yeah, well, our bikes are like our kids. Once David caught a guy sittin' on his and knocked him clean out," Paul snickered at the memory "If ya ask me, he got off lightly."

"I see..." she nodded thoughtfully "So this...This is like a big gesture, isn't it?"

"Might be," he murmured bashfully "So to turn the engine on-"

Before he could continue, she twisted where she sat and kissed him – the angle was awkward, and she ended up kissing the corner of his mouth rather than his actual lips. All the same, he grinned and cupped the side of her face, shifting so the angle was less awkward. When her eyes fluttered open, Paul was staring at her with his usual cheeky grin plastered on his face, looking at her like she was the best damn thing he'd ever seen. The moment was ruined when a passing Surf Nazi called a crude comment over to them.

"So," Cat flushed with a soft smile "This engine. What do I do?"

Within an hour, Cat was weaving up and down the beach on the bike, Paul's chest pressed tightly against her back as he egged her on. Sure, she only drove at half the speed that Paul usually hit, but there was plenty of time for her to build her confidence with that. Once they were done, they went to get pizza, as promised, and ended up sitting in the sand as they shared it, Cat between Paul's splayed legs, resting her back against his chest. One hand held a slice of pizza, the other held his free one. They probably looked like some kind of sickening high school couple, but she found it amusing.

"Back to the cave after this?" she questioned, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Nuh-uh. I got more plans for us," he spoke through a mouthful of pizza, squeezing her hand.

"Is this a date, sir?" she giggled quietly.

"Could be," Paul shrugged "Why, got a problem with that?"

"I don't know, it might be moving too quickly," she joked "You'll be asking to see my _knees_ next. The scandal!"

"I hear they're really sexy knees," he played along, pretending 95% of her legs weren't exposed by the shorts she wore.

"The sexiest in Santa Carla," she agreed solemnly "So what's the occasion?"

"Do I gotta have a motive to spoil my girl?"

"No, but I suspect you do. You, my love, are up to something. I'm going to figure out what."

They both pretended not to notice her term of endearment, although Paul's grin noticeably widened.

"Wait a couple of hours, tops, and you won't have to."

"All right, I'll buy into the dark and mysterious act. Lead on."

* * *

Cat's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when Paul led her to one of the nicer hotel rooms on the boardwalk and actually produced a room key from his jacket.

"You...Have a key?" she blinked at him in amazement.

"Sometimes if you ask real nice and hand 'em over some money, they just give them right to you," he teased, swinging open the door and holding it for her.

"Is there any reason we actually got this room the honest way?" she tilted her head before heading inside.

The only windows in the room were frosted ones in the bathroom. Cat was surprised at how one hotel could have such shitty rooms on the bottom floor, but such nice ones up top. The bed was queen sized and she was pretty sure she could fit a family into the bathtub. Sure enough, when she approached the mirror beside the bathroom door, her reflection stared back at her clear as day.

"We're stayin' here tonight," Paul said as though it were obvious "Well, _today_ , I guess. Technically. Paid for tomorrow night too, so if we stick that 'do not disturb' sign on the door handle, we'll be fine."

"You know this is why the guys call us horny teenagers," she laughed "Feel like enlightening me yet?"

"Ha! That's one reputation I'd hate to not live up to. And patience!" he insisted "Just go...bathe or whatever girly crap you wanna do."

" _Bathing_ is girly?" she gave an amused smile.

"It is the way you do it. Bubbles and shit," he teased "I'm gonna go on a booze run. I won't be long. Relax."

He flicked a joint in her direction before turning on heel and leaving the room.

"Odd," Cat murmured, but kicked her boots off and padded into the bathroom nevertheless.

* * *

Smoking and lying in a steaming hot bath felt a lot more decadent than it actually was, but Cat revelled in it. She'd piled all of her hair onto the top of her head, kicked back, and relaxed. By the time Paul returned, she was half asleep.

"I could get used to a sight like that," he smirked, brandishing a bottle of whiskey.

"Join me?" she offered, accepting the bottle from him when he moved to kneel beside the tub.

"Not yet," he shook his head "Close your eyes."

Cat complied, eyebrows raised slightly. She almost jumped when she felt his fingertips against her left hand that rested on the side of the tub, lifting it up and pausing at the bandage wrapped around her finger.

"Take it off," she murmured – she'd never had any real plan on how to show him, and this seemed as good a time as any.

The bandage loosened, and she tried to feign nonchalance as it fell off and Paul stayed deadly silent.

"What is this?" he asked slowly.

"You know what it is," she laughed, opening her eyes to see him studying the solid black "P" tattooed on her knuckle.

"It's real?!"

"Yes, it's real," she rubbed the fingers of her other hand over the fully healed tattoo, proving that it wouldn't budge "I didn't even know if vampires could get tattoos, but I didn't want to ask because I knew you'd want to know what I was getting...or come with me."

"Jesus Christ," he stared at her, astonished "P...for Paul, yeah?"

"No, P for Pineapple," she dead-panned "I got this tattoo to proclaim my love for fruit."

"Ah, so this is a love proclamation," he was grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

"Might be..." she echoed his earlier words with a small smile, before turning mock-serious "For pineapples, that is."

"Of course..." Paul nodded, although now her grin matched his "You're such a dork."

"Hey!"

"My dork," he amended, shrugging his jacket off.

" _Your_ dork?" she challenged with a smile as he brought her face closer.

"Uh-huh," they were nose to nose by now.

"That makes you mine then, right?"

"Of course," he nodded and then his lips were on hers.

Before she could even fully begin to kiss him back, suddenly one of his arms was under her legs, the other went to her back and he was lifting her straight out of the tub.

"Paul!" she shrieked "I'm soaking."

"Good," he teased, his grip slipping on her skin.

"I'm naked!"

"Even better!"

"You're going to drop me!" she protested as his boots squeaked against the wet tiles.

"Hold tight then!"

* * *

Cat only remembered that Paul had wanted to surprise her with something around an hour before the sun was set to come up.

"So, what was this surprise then?"

"Shit, we sorta got off track, didn't we?" he chuckled tiredly, sitting up in the bed "Close your eyes."

Cat complied, lying back with a content sigh, practically purring. She'd nearly fallen asleep, listening to Paul rustle around the room. He joined her again moments later and she nestled up to him for warmth as he took hold of her left hand and pressed a kiss to the tattoo there. Then he took her right hand and she raised an eyebrow when she felt him slide something onto her ring finger. A ring? Her eyes flew open and she was speechless when she saw the ring that had caught her attention that evening in the cave, resting on her finger.

"What," she blinked, struggling to comprehend it at first "What's this?"

"Apparently I'm a sucker for tradition when it comes to you," he admitted bashfully "You're my girl. I wanted to get you a ring."

"Looks like we had the same idea," she laughed quietly, lifting up her other, tattooed, hand "But I'm serious though, babe. I know we can't, obviously, but if we could, I'd marry you in a second."

Part of Cat wanted to make some kind of joke to diffuse the tension and the emotion in the situation, but then her mouth took over.

"I love you."

Her plan had been to tell him the moment he saw the tattoo, but she'd quickly forgotten when he'd hauled her from the tub. The words came out surprisingly nervous – after all, it was the first time she'd ever told somebody that in a romantic way.

"I love you too," he responded in an instant, pulling her in for a kiss.

They were both too tired to initiate anything more heated than that for now.

"Holy shit!" he murmured quietly, surveying the new tattoo once again "You outdid me!"

Cat cracked up at that "I _outdid_ you? I didn't realise it was a competition!"

"Well you should have! Shit, you're making me look lazy!" he continued to tease her, kissing the new tattoo and then staring at it again in disbelief.

"Shut up," she laughed "The Queen of England probably owns less rings than the amount I saw on that damn fountain."

"Well, you can be the Queen of Santa Carla."

"And you can be the cheesiest bastard in Santa Carla," she snickered and they both fell quiet.

"Babe," he sighed quietly and moved his hand to tilt her chin up so she was looking at him as she was cushioned by his chest "We gotta talk."

Cat blinked " _Talk_ talk?"

She said the word as though he'd just asked her to give him twelve thousand dollars.

"Yeah."

Cat sat up, brow furrowed "Shit, okay. What's up?"

"Dwayne told me somethin' earlier. Said you spoke to him last week."

"...I speak to him every night," she raised her eyebrows "You'll need to be more specific."

"Said you were worried about me goin' after all those chicks."

"...Ah," she sighed, avoiding his gaze "That...That says more about my stupid insecurities than it says about you, love."

"You think I don't worry that you're gonna wake up one night and _hate_ me for trapping you here? Realise you deserve someone smarter? Who knows what you're talkin' about when it comes to books and politics and shit?"

Cat's brow furrowed "If we went out right now, you could name all of those motorcycle parts, tell me how they work, pull them apart and put them back together again. Blindfolded. I couldn't do that, and it's a hell of a lot more relevant than if Tony Blair is right for Britain or...or what F. Scott Fitzgerald thought about the roaring 20s. Hell, you could probably tell me about those, too. There's a difference between _smart_ and _educated_."

"And as for the 'trapping me' part, that's...ancient history. It's settled," she added on.

"I just don't get what you're insecure about."

"You never wanted this! To have some kind of committed relationship. I know how the others like to, uh, play with their food. _"_

"What exactly do you think I'm missin' out on, babe?" he gave a laugh "Shitty sex with girls I fully intend to kill once I'm done? In exchange for _amazing_ sex with a hot chick that I love?"

" _Amazing_ , hmm?"

" _Platinum_!" Paul protested with a joking grin "And don't even try to tell me that you haven't enjoyed it. I can't believe _you're_ the one worrying that I'm the one with less to gain."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Think of all the shit you gave up, Cat," his thumb moved over the new tattoo "Your entire freakin' _life_ , babe. For what?"

"Well, my job prospects are gone now – you ever tried to find a job with a tattoo on your hand? I'm sorry, I'm joking. _Amazing_ sex with a hot guy I love?" she mimicked his earlier phrase.

"In exchange for education, a whole life, family and friends?" he snorted sceptically "Yeah, you hit the jackpot."

Cat frowned as it slowly dawned on her that this had been eating at him for a while.

"We can't weigh our entire relationship in terms of costs and rewards! It's been hard," she conceded "You know that...But I did gain a whole new family. A much stranger one - which I didn't think was possible - but still. You know when I was a teenager, I was terrified of living an ordinary life? I kind of resigned myself to it when I became an adult, but I always hated the idea of living like everybody else does and then having none of it matter after a few short decades. This life is a lot of things, but it's certainly not ordinary. That's one thing that nobody else could have ever given me."

"So it's worth it then?" he still seemed sceptical.

"Is the immortality worth it? No. Are the weird new superpowers worth it? No," she sighed and his face fell "But you are. We have so much _fun._ It sounds juvenile, but I mean, isn't that what all of it's about? I had no fun back home. Yes, I was comfortable, and yes I have people I love there but...Nothing was exciting. Everything was 'same shit, different day'. I mean Christ, you saw the kind of friends I had..."

She trailed off and then sighed before continuing "I hate the way it went down. I'll never _not_ hate the way it went down...But I'm glad it did. The thought that if I was back in England right now, I'd probably be getting ready endure some sodding lecture on what some author meant when he wrote a book two hundred years ago? It's depressing. I'm glad I'm here. I just wish the way I got here could have been different."

"So if you had the option to go back now...?" Paul asked reluctantly, his grip on her hips tightening.

Cat ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip.

"I shouldn't of asked that," Paul quickly backtracked "It was shitty of me..."

"In an ideal world, I'd be able to stay here and visit my family whenever I wanted," she cut him off with a shake of her head "This isn't an ideal world. If there was some way for me to reverse the vampire deal and go home right now, still knowing everything I know? I couldn't do it. I couldn't leave you."

"You probably deserve someone better..." he murmured "But I swear no one wants to wake up to your face every night as much as I do."

"The universe literally wants us to be together," she gave a soft laugh, butterflies filling her abdomen at his words "We shouldn't be worrying about who deserves who. It doesn't _matter_."

Paul reached out, grabbing the bottle of whiskey. He poured some into the cap before handing the rest of the bottle to her and raising his hand in a toast.

"To not worrying," he nodded.

She echoed the words with a grin and took a gulp from the bottle, unable recall the last time she'd been so happy.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Somebody asked if I'd want to write a story for Dwayne or Marko, and I've actually got one for Dwayne in the works! It'd be set in the same universe as this story is set, so it'd still feature Cat and Paul and be set after this story. Let me know if you guys would be interested :)**

* * *

Just over one month after Cat and Paul celebrated their one year anniversary, things went horribly awry. Dwayne was the first to catch wind of this when he went on a food run one night. Cat and Paul were distracted, bickering good naturedly over what tape should be played next, so they didn't notice Dwayne pull David to the side, chewing nervously on the inside of his cheek.

"We've got a problem," he spoke lowly, eyes flickering towards Cat before he produced the paper he'd torn down from the town noticeboard.

David accepted it, his face slowly changing from calm to wide-eyed when he unfolded it.

"Ah, shit," he groaned "The cops are onto us, then?"

"I dunno man. We could call the number. If it's the cops, they'll say when they answer. In that case, we send Paul and Cat up to LA for a while. We still got a safe house there."

"I'll go out now and call the number," Dwayne responded immediately, but David grabbed his arm.

"They'll get suspicious, Cat doesn't miss a damn thing. Go out later for booze."

"She can't go out to the boardwalk tonight. We might need to tell Paul; we'll need his help," Dwayne nodded slowly.

"He'll freak."

"If staying calm keeps her safe, he'll deal. It'll just be tough getting him to keep it from her."

"All right, I'll distract Cat, you tell Paul you want him to help you with your bike. Take Marko in case he flips," David agreed "Tell him if she knows, she'll do something rash. Cat's got claws, after all."

"Shit, man. Okay. Just go give her some pizza. Bring up a book."

"I know just the one," David smirked, grabbing one of the pizzas from the arm of the chair "Hey, Cat. Don't you think Daisy Buchanan is a complete bitch?"

"David!" Cat groaned, standing to accept the pizza from him "You're too old to have an opinion that awful. Back me up here, Dwayne."

"I'd love to, but I can't. Somethin's up with my bike. Paul, wanna come look at the brakes?"

"Need a real master to show you how it's done?" Paul smirked, placing an AC/DC tape into the boombox before gesturing for Dwayne to lead the way.

Paul stared down quietly at the photo of Cat. It had to have been over a year old, but she looked so different. _His_ Cat was very different. Her hair was longer and a vibrant shade of red as she smiled shyly for the camera huddled beside a figure who had been cropped out of the picture.

Underneath, printed in capitals was printed " **MISSING – CATRIONA M** **A** **CKENZIE** " along with " **Last seen 13 months ago** " printed underneath in smaller letters, followed by a message urging them to call a number if they'd seen her.

"Where did this come from?" he could feel the blood draining from his face as he spoke.

"Boardwalk noticeboard. I dunno how long it was there. Hopefully not long. We don't _think_ it's the cops, but we're gonna call the number and see what we can find out."

"I should tell Cat," Paul murmured, handing the flyer to Marko who swore when he realised what it was.

"Bad move," Dwayne argued immediately "She'll freak out. You know how she crumbles when it comes to this shit. You just need to find a way to keep her here while we work out what's goin' on."

"She can't be kept in the dark!" Paul protested "She's the one in the middle of this!"

"We'll tell her when we have all the facts," Marko suggested "If we already got a plan, she won't need to freak out."

"She's gonna freak out whether we have all the facts or not! And damn, she's got a good reason!" Paul spoke aggravatedly, although his expression gave away the fact that Marko's words had made sense to him.

"All we can give her right now is a whole load of questions," Dwayne agreed with Marko "She'll just worry. Once we actually _know_ something, we'll tell her. Until then, she stays off the boardwalk and we act like nothing's wrong. Agreed?"

"How are we gonna keep her off the boardwalk _and_ act like nothing's wrong?" Paul raised his eyebrows "She'll know the second we try to keep her in the cave."

"That's your job," Dwayne shrugged "You keep her here, we'll go see what we can find out."

"Nuh-uh. I'm gonna call this fucker. You keep her here," Paul shook his head, striding towards his bike.

Dwayne looked as though he might argue, but Paul's jaw was set in determination and he knew it would go no good.

"Be careful with what you say," Dwayne called eventually, shaking his head with a sigh before turning to Marko "You wanna go with him or should I?"

"You think I'm missin' this?" Marko grinned "I'll go supervise and make sure he doesn't make too many threats."

* * *

Cat had a bad feeling. She didn't know why, or what it concerned, but she felt on edge. There was a weird atmosphere in the cave, a far stretch from the laid back feeling that she was usually absorbed in. She had no idea if it was just her – perhaps she was in an odd mood, and was reading too much into everything because of it. Nobody else seemed to be commenting on it. Perhaps it was just her. She shifted where she sat on the mattress, watching as Paul silently undid his bracelets. He'd barely said a word after he came back from the booze run...and then Marko had shown up ten minutes later with the booze Paul had apparently forgotten to pick up.

"Are you okay?" she asked eventually, her voice sounding oddly wary even to her own ears.

"Huh?" Paul blinked, looking up at her in surprise, as though he'd forgotten she was there.

"Is something wrong?" she frowned, biting on her lower lip.

"No," he shook his head before sighing, his shoulders dropped almost in defeat "Nah. It's nothin', babe. Just zoned out."

It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her. Cat nodded slowly, not believing him for a second (she couldn't remember having seen him frown like that in almost a year, for heaven's sake!). She didn't want to force the issue, but after a year of fully speaking her mind with him, it was difficult. She tried to force the frown from her features, but struggled. What _could_ be wrong? Paul often joked that she worried enough for the both of them, so therefore he had to relax enough for the both of them, so what had changed? What even was there to worry about? There had to be something. If there was one word that represented everything that was the complete opposite of Paul, it would be solemn, and yet that described his current demeanour perfectly.

"If something was wrong, you would tell me, wouldn't you?" she asked softly, tilting her head to the side "We...We don't keep things from each other...Do we?"

Paul visibly faltered before dropping the last of his bracelets to the cave floor.

"'Course we don't," he shot her a smile, but it seemed off.

Cat sighed and looked away, brow furrowing. Now she knew she wasn't being paranoid. The odd atmosphere in the cave could easily be written off, but she knew Paul well enough to know when he was acting strangely. His jaw seemed to be permanently clenched and whenever he looked at her, his haze held something she wasn't used to. Unable to quite put her finger on what it was, she could only liken it to a look one of her teachers had given her back in high school when she'd failed an exam, but didn't know it yet – a mix of sympathy and reluctance. She began to plait her hair into one long braid to keep it out of her way (and stop Paul from lying on it) whilst she slept, eyes still on Paul as he undressed. It was an amusingly domestic picture.

When he finished, he climbed onto the mattress behind Cat, his legs splayed out at either side of her. By then her gaze had shifted to the ends of her hair as she continued to plait it. Getting a haircut had been slowly moving up on her list of priorities lately – her hair was almost down to her ass and washing blood out of it wasn't what Cat considered to be a good time. Once she'd secured the braid, Paul wrapped his arms around her tightly, his chest against her back and chin on her right shoulder, stubble scratching her skin.

This definitely wasn't like other nights. Sure, this was what they always did, but there were no jokes being cracked, no soft laughter filling the alcove. The usual alternative to the laugher was the flirting, and there was none of that either. Just silence. Cat leaned back against him, internally battling with herself. Personally, she hated being pushed and prodded and constantly asked if something was wrong – her neutral facial expressions tended to look moody, so as a teenager she'd endured a lot of "Are you okay?!"s when she was perfectly fine and it had gotten on her nerves every single time. Perhaps she should just leave Paul alone. Let him snap out of whatever was bothering on his own – she'd asked and he'd said nothing was wrong, she could hardly be expected to torture the answer out of him. If he didn't want to talk about it, he had every right not to. She couldn't stop herself from worrying, though. Only something very serious could put Paul in a mood like this, and the look in his eyes paired with the way he was clinging to her now suggested that it involved her. His left hand trailed down her arm and found hers, the pad of his thumb rubbing over the solid black "P" that had sat there for nearly a year now. Not even a week after she'd shown him the tattoo, he'd taken her to the same studio and she'd watched as he got a matching "C" tattooed on his ring finger.

"Are _we_ okay?" she breathed before she could stop herself.

Paul was silent for a few moments and a ball of anxiety began to form and tighten in her chest. He squeezed her hand and then let it drop into her lap.

"I can't do this," he murmured eventually.

Cat felt her heart sink and she began to fear the worst. What did he even mean? What couldn't he do? Did he mean _them_?

"I ain't gonna lie to you," he continued with a sigh "It's not right."

He leaned to the right, stretching his arm out to grab his jacket before dragging it onto the mattress, onto her lap.

"Right pocket," he spoke grimly.

Cat reached into the pocket and blinked in surprise when her fingertips met paper instead of the usual drugs, spare change and stray grains of sand. She pulled the folded paper out and looked at him as if to ask if that was what he'd wanted her to find. He nodded in confirmation, his face grim. Taking in a deep breath, now unsure if she even wanted to know what this was all about, Cat began to unfold the flyer.

* * *

 **A/N: I can never resist throwing in a cliffhanger. As always, please review! Updates may be a tad slow for a while – I found out last week that I got into my top choice university (which has made me happier than ever!) so now I need to get ready to move there. This story is still pretty much what I think about 24/7 though, so I won't neglect it too long! x)**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I've already written a scene or two for the Dwayne story...although it may change into a Marko one. I need to decide which one the OC I've created suits better. I've also got a vague idea for a short David story (five chapters at the absolute most, if I end up writing it the way I think I will), which would be set in the past. I hope you guys like this! As ever, thanks for reviewing and please keep it up :)**

* * *

The last thing Cat expected to see on the paper was her own face staring back up at her. She remembered when that photo had been taken. It was at a birthday party – the dress up theme had been "musicals" and she'd gone as one of the women from _Chicago_ and consequently spent the rest of the night trying not to freeze to death in the skimpy 1920s style flapper dress. The hangover had been so bad she'd been unable to even think of vodka for three months without feeling nauseous. Although how she felt back then was nothing on how sick she felt looking at the flyer in her hands.

"What...I don't..." she sucked in a deep breath, willing herself to think rationally – David was forever mocking people who panicked in tricky situations, because panic never helped anything "Where did this come from?"

"Dwayne found it on the boardwalk when he went to get food tonight."

"Who else knows about it?"

Paul said nothing.

" _Paul_."

"All of us."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I am telling you! They didn't want me to say anything until we knew more, but I went out and called the damn number and, well, I don't think we're gonna know more until it bites us in the ass."

"You called the number?" she moved away from him and turned so that they sat face to face "What did they say? Is it the police?"

"No answer," he sighed "I didn't leave a message or nothin', obviously, but if I call again and just hang up when they answer, they'll know somethin's goin' on here. Maybe if we lay low, they'll think they hit a dead end and leave."

Cat nodded slowly, desperately trying to convince herself everything would be okay.

"What would laying low entail?" she asked slowly.

"Well...you'd need to stay here," he admitted "Obviously I'd stay with you, I wouldn't just leave you alone every night. If shit hits the fan, me n' you will leave town for a while and...shit, I dunno, I guess the guys will take care of anybody involved."

"That's not realistic," she shook her head "It looks too suspicious. We'd need to run. Leave the cave. Oh _shit_ , Paul, what if they find me? Find us? They'll take me away. If they catch you, they'll take you too! We'll be separated, at some point we'll be put out in the sun, and that's only if they don't stroll on in during the day first-"

Her voice was growing more high pitched and frantic as she went on, eyes widening. She didn't resist when Paul reached forward and gently took hold of her arm, pulling her towards him so he could embrace her.

"They'll find out what I did," her voice cracked as she spoke, horrified "That I murde-"

It was the first time she'd brought it up since just after it had happened. Cat felt her blood run cold, although Paul's embrace helped stop her from going completely hysterical as she clung to him, staring ahead with wide eyes.

"Babe, calm down," he spoke soothingly before she could finish the word "We ain't ever gonna get separated. We're gonna find whichever asshole is poking his nose in where he shouldn't, and we'll take care of him. Until then...You gotta stay here."

"Paul, I need to feed," she shook her head – that familiar nagging feeling had been bothering her since she woke up that evening.

"Shit, okay," he took a deep breath in "So we'll feed tomorrow night and after that, you go MIA for a while. Sneak you out every now and then for feedings, my blood should help you too..."

"How are we going to get through this?" she shook her head numbly.

"We've gotten through worse – before you got here _and_ after. I'd die before we got split up."

"And as romantic as the sentiment is, I'd rather nobody died."

"Look, as far as we know, this ain't serious. It's been a year – you probably hit the top of the missing persons waiting list or some shit," he sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her "Maybe the flyer is as far as it's gonna get."

Cat desperately wanted Paul to be right, but she knew that neither of them believed his words for a moment.

* * *

"You ready to go?" Paul questioned the next night as Cat carefully secured a hair tie in her hair around midway down, just below her shoulder blades.

"One thing first," she murmured before grabbing his knife from the floor and holding it out to him "Cut my hair just above the hair tie."

Paul stared at the knife before moving his incredulous gaze to her. Cat would've laughed at his face if she wasn't so stressed out.

"The photo that they've been putting out of me doesn't really look like me now, but this'll make me look even more different," she explained without being prompted.

"I like your hair!" Paul protested.

"And I like being alive!" she retorted "It's not like I'm going for a buzz cut!"

Paul gave a dramatic, childish groan but gestured for her to turn around all the same.

"This sucks," he grumbled, pulling her hair taut so the knife would cut it easily.

Cat did her best not to move her head as she responded "You're not the one that spent three years growing it all out."

"Yeah, well," Paul sighed, tone turning more serious "Three years'll soon feel like three weeks."

"Shit, by that logic I slept with you like two seconds after we met."

"Longest two seconds of my life," he held the ponytail in front of her face to show that he was finished.

"I don't know whether to be flattered or offended," Cat snorted, turning around and running a hand through her hair, which now felt abnormally light.

"I get that a lot."

"Really?" Cat's eyebrows shot up "From who?"

Paul's eyes widened and Cat had to struggle to keep her facial expression cold and unamused.

"Babe, you know that's not what I meant! I was kidding!" he spluttered, mouth opening and closing like a fish as she still didn't relax.

"I know," Cat gave in, grinning at him "I just like giving you a hard time."

Paul visibly relaxed, giving her a somewhat unamused smirk "Yeah well how about later I give you a hard-"

"Please don't finish that sentence," Dwayne interrupted, appearing between the two curtains with a wince.

Her brother's gaze fell to the ponytail in Paul's hand and he blinked slowly before shaking his head, signifying that he didn't want to know.

"I think Dwayne finds you less charming than I do," Cat joked, before turning to Dwayne "What's up?"

"We're ready to go. Are you?" Dwayne questioned.

"Sure, we'll be right there," Cat nodded before turning to Paul and gesturing to the ponytail in his hand "You can, uh...Keep that, if you want?"

Paul rolled his eyes at her and dropped the hair into one of the oil drums as he led the way from the cave. None of the others knew that she knew about the flyer yet, and she intended to keep it that way for a bit longer. She wasn't ready to discuss it yet – what it meant, the possible consequences, any of it. If she wasn't talking about it, she could pretend it wasn't happening.

* * *

Cat stared around the boardwalk from behind her aviators, which she hoped would obscure her face, standing with the Lost Boys around her in a sort of semi-circle, leaning against, Paul who stood behind her. Part of her felt like a complete asshole for wearing sunglasses at night, like some kind of wannabe rockstar. Then again, the Lost Boys pretty much were the local rockstars. She'd ripped a girl's throat out a month ago for referring to her as "the Lost Groupie". The others were scanning the boardwalk too, as Marko chatted. They were trying to make it look like they were looking for a potential meal, but their faces were grim and jaws set – it was obvious they were on edge. Paul, however, was doing his best to keep her attention away from worrying that she might be being watched.

Despite herself, Cat giggled as Marko continued to tell a story from before she'd joined them. Paul, however, was completely ignoring the story (proclaiming it to be 'old news') and was far more interested in her neck.

"So we were hangin' from the train tracks-"

"You _what_?" Cat stared in horror as the boys were chuckled around her.

"We were fine! We _can_ fly, you know," Marko smirked.

"But that guy didn't know that! The poor bastard probably thought he was going to die!"

"Exactly!" David grinned.

"And suddenly my initiation seems a lot easier than I remember," Cat snorted, shaking her head, unable to hold back an amused smile.

"You're welcome," Paul snickered into her neck before nipping at it.

"Y'know, you're being really rude to Marko," she teased, trying her best to act nonchalant "He's trying to tell a story!"

"Yeah, Paul, where's your fucking manners, man?" Marko shot his friend a grin before returning to his story "Remember his face when..."

She stopped paying attention to Marko and spun around in Paul's arms, eyes sparkling, which he saw as he pushed the aviators up onto the top of her head "I know what you're up to, but we need to feed. You gonna give up?"

"Not til you give in," he smirked, almost nose to nose with her, hands moving to rest on her hips where her tank top had ridden up.

"Good thing I'm stubborn, then, hmm?"

"Thing about immortality, babe," he lowered his voice so that nobody else on the boardwalk would hear "Makes you patient."

She laughed and pecked him on the lips "Makes you an assho-"

A lot happened in the next two seconds, and for Cat most of it was a blur. She heard the sound of somebody being shoved, then Dwayne exclaim "what the-" before a pair of hands seized her shoulders and ripped her from Paul's grasp. Failing to right herself amidst the panic and confusion, Cat hit the ground, hard. A collective gasp seemed to echo around the boardwalk before all hell broke loose. By the time Cat gained her bearings, Marko was at her side and trying to pull her away.

"Cat, we need to go," he urged, helping her to her feet.

Her view was blocked by the remaining three Lost Boys, but she did see Paul throw a kick to her would-be attacker, who must've been on the ground. Dwayne looked ready to join in, and from what she could gather David was glaring at anybody who looked like they might consider intervening whilst egging Paul on.

"What happened?" she insisted, trying to pull away from him to get a look at the stranger.

"After he shoved you, he punched Paul. Look, I'll explain later but you're in dan-"

"You think this is the same person who put up that poster?" she stared, willing him to answer quickly

Marko groaned "Paul told you abou-"

"Yes or no, Marko?" Cat snapped, her heart hammering in her chest.

"This has to be linked. It's too much of a coincidence," he admitted reluctantly "Which is why I gotta get you outta he-"

Before he could continue, Cat was shoving her way between Dwayne and Marko to get a look at whoever had managed to turn her world upside down within the past 24 hours. She didn't see much at first, other than the fact that the stranger was male and he knew what he was doing. His knees were tucked under his chin, protecting his abdomen from Paul's blows (not that this discouraged him) whilst his arms were up, covering and protecting his head and face.

"Cat, get out of here," David hissed, trying to push her back towards Marko.

That prompted Paul's assault to stop as his head turned towards her, which in turn prompted the stranger to move his arms away from his head, revealing a mop of dark red hair and green eyes which matched Cat's perfectly as he stared at her in pure awe. The last time Cat remembered feeling so horrified was when she'd found out Paul was a vampire. Her insides tightened and agonisingly knotted together, the air seemed to rush from her lungs and the only thought rushing through her head was a sound akin to high pitched static. A pained, guttural noise escaped her throat, like a wild animal caught in a trap.

David's arms went from trying to push her away to holding her upright as her knees buckled and she stared, horrified.

"Cat? Cat what is it? Do you know this guy? Talk to us," David urged.

Once sure that Paul wasn't going to try to land another kick on him for the time being, the redhead moved so that he was sitting, breathing heavily and staring up at the vampires surrounding him. Blood was dripping from his lip down his chin. Cat continued to stare, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

"What the fuck did you do to her, man?!" Paul demanded, rounding on the man again and drawing his arm back, but Cat found her voice before he could throw the punch.

" _No_!" she shrieked, hands shaking as they gripped David's arm "Paul no! Don't! That's Jamie! It's my brother!"

* * *

 **A/N: Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnn. Anybody see it coming? Please review!**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: The reviews for the last chapter honestly delighted me, haha. Please keep it up! Thank you guys so much! I hope you like this one.**

* * *

Cat couldn't breathe. It was like she had forgotten how. Her brain couldn't even begin to comprehend the situation she'd found herself in, and so it had chosen to shut down completely instead. Jamie looked different, and noticing these differences only made her feel worse. He'd lost weight and his hair was longer and unkempt – although that was probably more to do with what had just happened than anything else – and his skin was paler, emphasising the dark circles underneath his eyes. He was staring at her like he'd seen a ghost – then again, in his mind he probably thought he had. He had probably only just realised who she was.

Suddenly her old life and the way she left it wasn't something that she could pretend never happened. It was real and the consequences were sitting in front of her. She tried to take a breath in, but her lungs wouldn't cooperate as David did his best to keep her upright. Only seconds passed, but they felt like hours. Until the illusion broke. Jamie stumbled to his feet and out of the corner of her eye she saw Paul take a swift step back as though he'd been burned. Her brother's arm lifted slightly towards her, as though he didn't even believe she was real. That was all it took. Before Cat was fully aware of what she was doing, she was barrelling out of David's grasp and then she was clinging to her big brother, unable to control the sobs that escaped her lips. Every emotion that she'd shoved to the back of her mind and bottled up concerning her family over the last year came flooding out, leaving Cat helpless to stop it.

"You're alive," he breathed, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug "Thank god, Catriona, you're alive."

Cat squeezed her eyes shut, unable to breathe or stop crying. This only worsened when she realised Jamie was sobbing too. She'd never seen him cry before, ever. Her brother had always been the type to shy away from emotions, as if on pure principle.

"It's okay," he urged, clearly mistaking her tears for relief "You're safe now. You're coming home. They can't hurt you."

A pained noise left Cat's throat. How could she even begin to fix this mess? Her brother had gotten cagey over her _talking_ to guys back home, so when he learned of the full extent of her situation? He'd go ballistic, and that was the least of her worries. The last people from her old life to see her with the Lost Boys ended up dead. At her own hands. The thought was like a bucket of ice cold water being thrown over her. Immediately she shoved Jamie away and stumbled backwards, staring at him in horror.

"You can't be here," she forced out, staring at him with wide eyes "You need to leave."

"Catriona, you're safe now," Jamie insisted, quickly wiping the blood away from his mouth "You don't have to be afraid-"

"It's not me I'm afraid for!" her voice broke and she clamped a hand over her mouth, turning her face away where her eyes locked directly onto Paul's.

That was all he needed, in a second he was at her side.

"Breathe, babe," he murmured, pulling her close.

She'd be lying if she pretended not to notice how shaken Paul seemed by this new development. Almost on instinct, she melted into his grip, eyes tight shut.

"Get your fucking hands off my sist-"

"Hey man, I'm the one trying to help her here!" Paul snapped, his grip tightening around her "Do you see her fighting me? No? So chill out."

"I can't do this, Paul," she breathed into his chest "Not again. I can't do it. Not to him."

"Nobody's askin' you to," he reassured quietly, rubbing her back "We'll work somethin' out. Everything's gonna be fine."

"Not that I don't enjoy causing a scene," David chose this moment to cut in "But we gotta get outta here. Find some place to talk and give Jamie some answers.

Jamie's jaw clenched both at the fact that David knew his name and the sight of Paul and Cat, but he nodded all the same, eyes narrowing in curiosity his sister's behaviour.

When Cat regained control of her own lungs, she allowed David to lead the way back to the bikes, eyes plastered to the ground. She didn't even want to know what kind of facial expression Jamie would be pulling. His presence alone made her feel sick to her stomach.

She shakily climbed onto Paul's bike behind him, only to look up after a few moments when nobody started their engines. Jamie stood somewhat awkwardly in front of the four bikes, arms crossed and lips set into a thin line. The Lost Boys were staring back at him with a grim kind of amusement, waiting to see what he'd do next. Ah.

"If...If you want to ride with one of the others, I could dri-"Cat began to murmur to Paul, only to be cut off by Dwayne.

"Get on," he ground out, eyeing Jamie distrustfully before his gaze turned to Cat and softened "You're in no state to drive."

Cat nodded slowly in thanks. Even if her biological brother despised her by the end of the night, at least she could still count on the others.

* * *

Jamie's initial reaction to the cave was a lot more negative than Cat's had been. She vaguely wondered how he'd managed to clench his jaw so hard without breaking his teeth.

"They've been keeping you in a _cave_?" he growled, nose wrinkled as he surveyed her home.

Cat huddled into the corner of the sofa, bringing her feet up underneath her.

"They're not _keeping_ me. I'm not a pet," she murmured weakly, relaxing only slightly when Paul sat beside her and took her hand.

Dwayne sat to her other side, on the arm of the sofa, looking almost like a bodyguard.

"Take a seat," David spoke casually, gesturing to the chair directly opposite where Cat sat.

Jamie glared, but complied all the same. Once he did, Marko moved to sit on the fountain ledge and David dropped into the old wheelchair he seemed to love so much.

"How did you find me?" Cat asked eventually, still unable to look at her brother.

Her Scottish accent was quickly becoming more prominent, the more she heard her brother talk. It had always been that way whenever she returned to Scotland from university. Cat's heart was racing. She knew she had to think, and think quickly. Slow thinking was what had lost the lives of Sophie and Bryana.

"Is that really-" Jamie began, his voice bordering on a shout.

Before Jamie finished his sentence, Cat clicked her fingers quickly, three times. To anybody else, it would look like a nervous twitch – she did it a lot when she was thinking deeply anyways, and so the Lost Boys didn't bat an eyelid at it. Jamie, however, knew better. They'd devised the system when they were young. Originally it had been her brother's idea – as the older sibling, he was always getting into all sorts of trouble, and since Cat was the young, innocent one, her mum would believe anything she said. Whenever Jamie needed her to go along with something he was saying in order to support whatever lie he was telling, he'd click his fingers three times. Cat would immediately back him up and he'd get off scot-free. When Cat got old enough to sneak out to parties, the system came in handy for her too. Essentially, it meant "shut up, go with it and I'll explain later". By the way Jamie froze, he remembered the system perfectly.

She knew this would only back up his theory that the Lost Boys were holding her hostage. That they had something on her and that she wasn't able to speak freely. For now, though, that would have to do.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," Cat spoke quietly "But first...Please, Jamie."

He huffed and shifted where he sat, digging into his back pocket. From it, he withdrew a piece of paper, folded once in the middle. She accepted it from him and opened it up, Paul peering curiously over her shoulder.

"It was in the lining of your suitcase – you never got round to fixing the tear in it. Police released it to us a month ago. Everybody's lost hope. Mainly because the police in Santa Carla are less than co-operative."

The paper wasn't a paper at all, but a photograph. The last one that had been taken of her as a human. Her hair was still bright red, whipping above her head in the wind, her eyes were closed, her cheeks were flushed, and her and Paul were attached at the lips. It was the one that'd been taken on _The Giant Dipper_ on New Year's Eve, the night they'd agreed to be 'boyfriend/girlfriend'. In any other circumstance, the sight of the photo would've made her smile. Instead Cat grimaced and passed it to Paul. No doubt it would join the one the matching one they'd taken a few months prior on their anniversary.

"I realised that either _he_ had something to do with your disappearance, or he might know something that could help. So I caught a flight out. Then I saw you..." he glared at Paul, fists clenching " _Together_. I didn't realise it was you at first. Assumed that this was what they did. Prey on tourists, y'know? I thought that whoever he was kissing must just be his next victim."

"Hence the punch," Cat murmured numbly with a nod "Okay, then. Ask away."

"First," David cut in "Nothing said here tonight leaves this cave. No phone calls home or to the police. No nothing. The world continues to believe Cat's dead."

"Mum's nearly given up. She's about to start planning your funeral. Catriona, this has _destroyed_ her. Do you get that?" Jamie protested directly to Cat and she flinched, but didn't disagree with David's condition, instead choosing to click her fingers again, reminding Jamie to trust her.

"Your word," Cat urged quietly "Give us your word."

Jamie had always believed that a man was only as good as his word. He'd never broken a promise before, although under the circumstances it wouldn't surprise her if he broke that rule now.

"Jamie, it's not safe for mum to know," she persuaded.

"Okay. Fine. Now explain. Where are your friends?"

"Dead," she forced the word out, doing her best not to get emotional again.

Paul took her hand, as a silent gesture of comfort. Jamie, however, almost shot out of his seat at her blunt response, and Marko did his best to stifle an amused snort. David didn't try to hide his amusement, a smirk playing on his lips.

"They _killed_ your friends?" Jamie's voice rose.

"No. I did," her voice was barely above a whisper, and then the cave fell silent.

This time, she brought herself to look at her brother. He was staring at her in horror, jaw slack.

"What the fu...Catriona... _Why_?"

Cat took a deep breath in. Everything hinged on the next few moments.

"I made friends with The Lost Boys on my second night here. We hit it off and, well, things with Paul and I moved along pretty quickly and, well, we started a _thing_. Bryana got jealous and that's when it all went to shit," she began before biting her lip, casting her gaze downwards...and beginning to lie "So one night, I get back from hanging out with the guys and Bryana is drunk. I mean, seriously drunk. She...She just _flew_ for me. She'd always been a pretty aggressive drunk, but this was unreal. I was terrified."

Paul's grip on her hand tightened and she looked up to meet the gazes of the Lost Boys each in turn, with a look that she hoped would convince them to just go with it. She'd only had the bike ride to the cave to devise her half-baked plan, but it was all she had.

"I had Paul's knife at the time," she continued "He leant it to me the first night I came here – a gesture of trust, y'know? I...I didn't mean to use it, but she just wouldn't stop. She was going ballistic...I didn't even know she was dead until Sophie started screaming."

Her nerves could easily be mistaken as trauma as her voice began to shake. The lie was ridiculously far-fetched, even to her own ears, but she only needed it to buy her time, not for it to be believed. Nobody in the cave was in a position to call her out on the lie, not yet.

"I panicked. I can't spend the rest of my life in jail...so when Sophie came flying at me, well..." she trailed off and shook her head "I didn't _mean_ to. It was an accident. It all happened so quickly. The boys, well, they're not exactly clean themselves. Paul was with me when it happened – he'd given me the ride home – so he helped me get rid of the bodies. After that we faked our disappearances. The police here are crap, so we knew it wouldn't be followed up on. I thought it was the only way to keep me out of jail. But then a few nights later I panicked. I thought I couldn't go through with it. That was when I phoned you, but Paul caught me and stopped me. I've been hiding out here ever since."

"That's...quite the story, Catriona," Jamie responded quietly after a good few minutes of silence.

She raised her eyes to meet his gaze, only to find that he was staring at her hand – the one she'd used to click her fingers. He didn't believe her, but he was going along with it.

"People can't know I'm alive, Jamie," she insisted, voice cracking "Especially not after all this time. I'll be up there with Ted Bundy and Charles Manson. Fucking _infamous_. I'll be put away for life."

Silence hung heavily in the air of the cave as Cat stared at Jamie, her heart hammering in her chest.

"You're taking this remarkably well," David commented quietly.

Her brother looked to David, and then back at Cat. For a split second, his eyes softened in a form of apology before his features set into a scowl and he truly began to play along.

"What exactly do you want me to say, blondie?" he spat "My little sister _murdered_ her two best friends, let our entire family think she was dead, broke our mother's heart and spent the last year _whoring_ and getting wasted with a gang of bikers."

Cat didn't even have to pretend to be upset at his words. Most of what he'd said was true, after all. The only part where he'd been wrong was the fact that she wasn't sleeping with _all_ of the Lost Boys. She looked down again, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. That seemed to be the final straw for Paul, and she felt him tense and get ready to say his piece. Dwayne, however, got there first.

"You need to watch your mouth, man," he warned quietly, moving to stand before Cat put her free hand on his arm, pulling him to sit back down.

The last thing she wanted was for Jamie to get punched again. Or worse.

"She's _my_ sister!"

"She was your sister," David seemed to take great pleasure in annoying Jamie, tilting his head with raised eyebrows "Now she's ours. I'd say she made a pretty good deal too, trading in you for us. I mean, _I've_ never called Cat a whore. Have you, Marko?"

"Can't say I have. Dwayne?"

Dwayne shook his head.

"And we all know Paul hasn't," David spoke for Paul, who sat seething at her side "After all, they're pretty much married."

"David," Cat sighed, shaking her head.

"A word, Cat?" David was unfazed by Cat's annoyance, standing up and looking at her expectantly.

With a slow nod, Cat let go of Paul's hand and stood, following the de facto leader to the other side of the cave. Paul sighed and stood too, making his way towards the boombox to turn it on so that he could prevent Cat and David's conversation from carrying across the cave.

"What are you doing, Cat?" David frowned suspiciously at her, lighting a cigarette and offering it to her.

"The less he knows, the safer he is," she shrugged unapologetically, accepting the cigarette "Do you really think he'll go back and tell everybody I'm alive if he thinks it'll put me in jail for life? Or death row depending on where I end up."

"You really think I'd try and get you to kill your own brother?" she couldn't tell if David's tone was amused or hurt – he had an annoying knack for covering it up.

He watched her expectantly as he pulled out another cigarette for himself and lit it.

"I know that the safety of this group matters more to you than anything else," she sighed, blowing smoke out of the corner of her mouth "And I won't pretend I don't respect you for that."

"Flattery isn't your forté, sweetheart," David snorted, his words were muffled slightly by the cigarette between his lips, but she could tell he was pleased by her response "But for your information, that was never how I was going to address this situation."

"Oh?" she blinked in surprise.

"Well, you know my motto. The more the merrier."

"I thought your motto was 'anything worth doing is worth overdoing'."

"I think that suits your boyfriend better than me."

Cat gave a quiet laugh despite herself, but was failing to hide her dubious curiosity "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"What do you think I'm suggesting?"

" _David_."

"Not in a joking mood, huh? Okay," he shrugged, suddenly all business "How about your brother joins us?"

Cat's heart skipped a beat and she looked back to where the others were. Jamie's eyes were locked onto her and David. The others were watching them too – and no doubt they could hear them with their superior hearing – but they were making an effort to disguise this fact, as Dwayne and Marko made small talk and from what she could tell, Paul had resolved to simply sit and glare at her brother.

"What if...What if I say no?" she lowered her voice.

David blinked in surprise "Why would you _want_ to? We all know how close you were to your brother. This is a hell of an opportunity you have here."

"I just want to know all of my options," Cat shrugged in a way that she hoped was nonchalant.

"You haven't got any, Cat," David shrugged bluntly, taking a draw of his cigarette "I'm sorry, but letting him go back is too risky. Either he becomes one of us or..."

"Or he dies?"

"Or he dies."

Cat's heart sank.

* * *

 **A/N: On the surface David's suggestion looks like a dream come true!...So why doesn't Cat seem to agree? I hope you guys liked it!**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: I posted the first chapter of a (very short) David/OC story if you guys want to check it out! It's set in the same world as this story, but they don't really effect one another. Let me know if you check it out and if you enjoy it! As always, thanks so much for the reviews. They're a lovely reward for writing this, haha. As things stand now, I _think_ that this story will be finished at, if not before, chapter 40...and then I'll begin working on the Dwayne/OC story!**

* * *

The rest of the night passed incredibly awkwardly. Despite all odds, Cat managed to convince David to leave turning Jamie until the next night, and so whilst that staved off one heart-attack, the tension between her brother, Paul, and her _other_ brothers, was becoming too much. It was obvious that any display of affection between Paul and Cat bothered Jamie, and so of course, this prompted Paul to become even more affectionate than usual. Cat marked it up to some kind of primal macho bullshit, but it didn't mean his behaviour annoyed her any less. Paul was hardly known for his maturity, and that was something she loved about him – hell, she usually found his possessive streak hot – but this was more antagonistic towards her brother than anything. Dwayne was the only one not trying to antagonise her brother, content with sitting and glaring at him instead whilst David and Marko constantly referred to her as "sister" or brought up funny stories, as if to rub in her brother's face that she hadn't spent the last year being miserable.

It took her an hour before she snapped, when Paul practically tried to pull her into his lap, lips at the base of her neck.

"Paul, outside, please," she finally spoke when she noticed a vein beginning to appear on Jamie's forehead.

"Huh?" he blinked at her in genuine surprise.

Cat scowled and said nothing, untangling her limbs from his and leaving the cave. Paul followed her out a few seconds later.

"You need to stop," she cut to the chase, crossing her arms.

Now it was Paul's turn to frown "I'm just actin' like I always do! I didn't realise everything was so different now!"

"Paul," Cat shook her head incredulously "Right now, I need to try and keep my brother happy, and David happy, and they both want opposite things. _Please_ don't add yourself to that juggling act right now, because I'm about to test out my own immortality by having a fucking heart attack, okay?"

"So what, I can't touch you now that your brother's here?" he scowled.

"A 'touch' is an arm around my shoulder or holding my hand, not your hand practically in my damn crotch! Even Dwayne looked uncomfortable and he's used to us!"

Paul's lips set into a thin line and he looked away.

"What is this about, Paul?" she sighed wearily "Some kind of dominance thing? He's my _brother_. He's about as much of a threat to you as Marko is. Hell, even if Nikki Sixx walked into the cave, you'd still have nothing to worry about! You _know_ that!"

"I ain't acting differently," he shrugged.

"You are and you know it."

He gave a moody shrug and hugged his arms, still avoiding her gaze completely.

"Do you even have any idea how disrespectful it is to _me_? Treating me like a piece of meat in front of my own brother? I know we mess around and have fun, but that was just ridiculous!"

He still didn't respond and didn't move.

"Fine. Whatever. Let's not talk about it. Fucking fine," Cat gave up, temper flaring "But do you even care about how hard tonight has been for me? Or have you been _that_ focused on trying to piss of Jamie for no damn reason?"

"Hard? You just got everything you damn wanted, girl. Your precious freakin' brother's back. You don't need us no more, huh?"

Paul scoffed and turned around, shaking his head and moving back towards the cave, leaving Cat to stare after him dumbfounded. After a few moments she swore loudly, kicked the ground at her feet before storming back inside after him.

"C'mon Jamie, I'll give you a ride back to the hotel," Cat called across the cave, grabbing her jacket and shrugging it on.

"Paul'll go with," David responded from where he sat.

"No," Cat shook her head "Dwayne will. Paul needs to change his tampon. Marko, can I borrow your bike please?"

Marko's bike was similar to Paul's, and the only other one of the four that she could handle.

"That wasn't very feminist of you," Paul muttered in response to the jab.

"Fuck you. Marko?" she spoke without even sparing Paul a glance.

"Oooh, trouble in paradise," Marko chuckled before lobbing his keys at Cat "Hurt it and drinks are on you for a month."

"I'll take those odds. Cheers."

"Take mine," Paul sighed "You ain't used to Mark-"

"You gave up your right to give a shit ten minutes ago. Hurry up, brothers," she shook her head and ascended the entrance to the cave – she pretty much flew upwards, but made sure to disguise the movements so it looked like she was just incredibly light on her feet.

Behind her, she could hear the boys begin to tease Paul. With a sigh she crossed her arms and waited, staring up at the full moon.

"Tough night, huh?"

Cat nearly jumped a foot into the air when Dwayne's voice sounded behind her.

"You're taking the 'dark and silent' thing to a whole new level there, fucking hell," she breathed, turning to face him.

He gave a quiet laugh, shaking his head "You okay?"

"No," Cat shrugged bluntly "But I've been worse...And now you've met my _other_ brother. The original."

"He's a good man," Dwayne replied "Always knew I had big boots to fill."

Cat nodded, irritation stirring in her chest when she felt tears spring to her eyes again. She was sick of crying. She laughed humourlessly as Dwayne silently slung an around around her and pulled her closer.

"I must be truly pitiful if I've earned a hug," she quipped, but wrapped her arms around her brother all the same, mumbling a "Thank you."

"C'mon, we'll take him back, we'll go feed and everything'll look better," he spoke quietly "And Paul'll calm down while we're gone. I'd put money on that."

"Jamie's going to hate me when he finds out the truth."

"Nah. He'll hate Paul. It's gonna be a fun few weeks between those two."

Cat nodded slowly, turning towards the cave entrance. Jamie was taking his time, and that worried her. What could possibly be keeping him? She half expected to peer into the cave ad see David handing him the bottle of blood. Thankfully, it didn't come to that.

"I thought the blonde was the one who was obsessed with you," Jamie wrinkled his nose at the sight of Dwayne's arm wrapped around her.

"She's a popular girl," Dwayne deadpanned, dropping his arm to his side and turning to lead the way up the wooden stairs.

Once at the top, out of pure habit, Cat started towards Paul's bike before sighing and shaking her head at herself. Her brow furrowed when she climbed onto Marko's bike, trying to get used to the feel of it, but she managed to feign confidence when her brother climbed on behind her and Dwayne looked over to question if she was ready.

As Cat drove back towards the town, she replayed her argument with Paul over and over in her head. Her jaw set and she accelerated the bike, the wind whipping through her hair was almost cathartic. She wasn't even aware of how fast she was going – mainly because it was a snail's pace in comparison to how fast the boys went at times – but when Jamie cursed loudly and failed to balance behind her properly when they got to a sharp turn, which in turn nearly sent them both flying, she slowed down. She really didn't want to damage Marko's bike. Dwayne, however, didn't try and hide his laughter at the spectacle as he drove alongside them.

She felt Jamie breathe a huge sigh of relief when they pulled up beside the hotel.

"He wasn't as pale when he rode with me," Dwayne teased.

"That just makes you _boring_ ," Cat snorted with a good natured grin "And not a scratch on the bike. Marko can suck it."

She pretended not to notice the odd look she drew from Jamie because of her cheery, easygoing attitude around Dwayne. Once he was off of the bike, she followed suit and then frowned when Dwayne didn't move.

"You coming?" she questioned.

"Have a few minutes alone," he shook his head "I'll watch the bikes."

There was no need to watch the bikes and they both knew it. Everybody in town knew who the bikes belonged to, and would sooner lose their hands than be caught messing with them...which was, incidentally, what would probably happen to them if caught doing so.

She mouthed a 'thank you' to him, dramatically placing her hand over her heart as she allowed Jamie to lead the way. Her brother said nothing until they got into the lift.

"You're such a good actress, holy shit," he shook his head as the doors closed "Catriona, I'm so sorry you've had to do this for a full year. I should've come earlier. Do you know that creep actually loves you?"

Cat cringed at the way he referred to Paul "What do you mean?"

"Before I left that _cave,_ he puled me to the side and apologised – he even sang your damn praises. The fucking cheek of him," he growled "I swear, I'll see the bastards in jail for life...and that's if I don't kill them first."

Cat felt guilt course through her at that. Obviously Paul had felt bad after she left, then. In addition, she felt sick to her stomach at the way her brother was talking about the Lost Boys.

"Look, Catriona," he spoke lowly as the doors opened and he began to lead her down the hallway "I've got a machete in my bag, I can take care of the one outsi-"

"No!" she snapped without fully meaning to, recovering before Jamie could question her "Look...just be ready to go at sundown tomorrow. I have a plan. I meant what I said earlier, too, no phone calls home, no telling anybody I'm alive. Call mum and let her know that you're okay, but that you have no leads. Okay?"

She wrung her hands together as she spoke – an action she quickly regretted when it brought Jamie's attention to them and he froze.

"What is that?" he asked, voice deadly quiet and eyes fixed on her left hand.

"Nothing," she shook her head, jamming her left hand into her pocket.

"Catriona, show me your hand."

Cat's jaw set and she stared ahead at the doors of the lift "It's nothing."

"Then. Show. Me."

The lift came to a stop and the doors opened. Giving a sigh of annoyance, Jamie led the way towards his hotel room, practically dragging her into the room the second the door was open. When Cat still made no move to show him her hand, unable to hide the distress from her features, his features softened.

"Catriona, none of this is your fault," he insisted "You did what you had to do, otherwise they would've done to you what they did to your friends...is that right?"

She couldn't believe the wild story her brother had forged in his mind of what must've happened to her in the past year, and she hated herself for having to go along with it for just a while longer. She felt like she was betraying the Lost Boys by letting him think so awfully of them. Knowing he wouldn't give up, she slowly withdrew her hand and splayed her fingers in front of her.

"Paul has a matching one," she justified quietly.

"We'll get it removed," Jamie's face was painstakingly close to crumpling as he observed the tattoo "Oh God, Cat, I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner. I'm just so glad you managed to convince them that you're one of them."

"Jamie, look," she shook her head "Remember what I said. No police. No mum. The second the sun goes down tomorrow night, I'll be here."

"I don't want you going back there!" Jamie protested "What if they're pissed off because I'm here? What if they hurt you?"

"Jamie, listen to me," she insisted fiercely "Those men would die before they willingly hurt me, okay? But I'm going to need time to get away."

He stared at her doubtfully, and before she fully knew what she was doing, she was pulling him into a hug.

"I'm going to see them dead for this, Catriona," Jamie's voice broke as he hugged her tightly "I promise."

Cat gave a small nod. She'd consider it a miracle if everybody made it out of this alive.

* * *

When Cat got back to the cave, thirst quenched, she handed Marko his keys and strode straight to the alcove, closed the curtains behind her and flopped down onto the mattress, face first. A few moments later, she heard the curtains rustle and the click of Paul's lighter as he lit the candles. Guilt weighed heavily in her chest after their earlier argument, and for lying to him (albeit by omission) regarding her plans for her brother.

She moved her head so that she could see him as he stood warily beside the mattress. Wordlessly, she held her hand out and he visibly relaxed, taking her hand and climbing onto the mattress beside her.

"I'm sorry, babe," he sighed quietly "I was an ass."

"Me too," she nodded "I shouldn't have snapped. I'd freak out if you had a long lost sister who showed up one night. I can get why you were worried that it'd change things."

"I just panicked," he spoke quietly, almost bashfully, and Cat snuggled up against him in a kind of encouragement, knowing he hated deep emotional conversations "I got scared that he was gonna take you away. I know how much you missed him. Everything's been so perfect this past year...I don't want that to change."

"I did miss him," Cat agreed "And I'll always adore him. He's my brother. But...I'm not Catriona anymore. I'm not the girl he knew. This is the only place for me now, and I'm happy about it. You have nothing to worry about. At all. Nothing's going to change."

" _Are_ you okay?" he asked, hand rubbing up and down her back.

She sighed and shook her head "He thinks you've all been holding me hostage for a year...and probably that I have Stockholm Syndrome or something. That I've been putting on some big elaborate act for a year so that you guys won't kill me."

"I tried to talk to him before he left...make shit right...he wasn't really havin' it though," Paul admitted softly.

"Thank you," she lifted a hand to his face, fingertips running over the stubble on his jaw.

"Was it really only last night when we were all sitting and arguing over who the Ringo of the group is?" she sighed "It feels like it was a month ago. It's been a long night."

"Wasn't even an argument. Nobody can deny that I'm the Paul. I mean, I _am_ Paul."

"You're a dork, is what you are," she cracked a smile, for the first time since the big reunion, causing Paul to grin triumphantly in return, pecking her lips.

Content that things were once again good between them, Cat moved and began to undress, listening quietly as one by one the boys went to bed. Only once she was sure they were all gone from the main part of the cave and therefore out of earshot, she said the words she'd been dying to say since she and Paul had argued earlier.

"I'm going to get Jamie back to Scotland."


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Sorry about the delay! There are two reasons for it:**

 **I just moved across the country for university/started university, and so I've been spending time moving in, getting settled and adjusting to the new city/dealing with homesickness.**

 **I've written and rewritten this chapter 101 times because it just didn't feel right.**

 **The lovely reviews from you guys have definitely made me happy despite the stress of moving and the homesickness, though! Originally this chapter was going to be a lot longer, but I wanted to get it updated, and this is a decent length!**

Cat didn't sleep at all that day. She hadn't even known that there was anything that _could_ keep her awake against the affect the sun had on all of them, but she wasn't exactly thrilled to find it. Paul, bless his heart, had resolved to stay awake until she fell asleep...and then promptly began softly snoring at around seven am. Cat, however, resolved to spend the time productively. She couldn't sleep, but she _could_ go over what could go wrong with her plan and find solutions. Of course, the first part was easier than the last, and by the time the sun was going down, she felt physically sick with nerves.

Paul woke up when she slid out from his embrace, blinking tiredly.

"Did you sleep?" he asked groggily.

"Sure," she lied quietly, grabbing the comfiest clothing she owned – a pair of baggy ripped jeans, Paul's old, faded Motley Crue shirt that he'd cut the sleeves off of and her Doc Martens.

"Sun's down, but it's still kinda light out," Paul murmured "You can go out, but it's probably gonna hurt like a bitch."

She had no idea how he always seemed to know what it was like outside. Decades of being a vampire, she supposed.

"It'll buy me more time if I leave soon," she sighed, starting to tie her hair up "You good on the plan?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded "Don't worry. It's all gonna work out. I'll be here in the beginning to steer things your way."

"I hate to put you in this position, you know," she bit her lip, turning her head to look at him "I'm sorry."

"Better you told me. I'd be freakin' out an hour from now if I didn't know what was goin' on."

"True. Lying to each other hasn't ever really worked out for us," she gave a quiet laugh, grabbing her leather jacket and shrugging that on.

"Take my bike."

"Nah, I'll fly and then hotwire a car...and anyway, last time I drove your bike you sang ' _Drive My Car_ ' at me for weeks after."

"That was quality comedy!"

"If you say so, love," she laughed, before her face fell back to being serious "You know David's probably never going to talk to me again for this?"

"He'll be pissed," Paul shrugged "But he'll come round."

"Look," she sighed "I don't want you to get involved with whatever consequences fall on me for this. I'm a big girl. It'll be my own fault."

"Cat-"

"I don't want it to fuck with your and David's friendship, or any of the guys for that matter. Dwayne and Marko might be pissed at me too. You've known each other too long for me to get in the way of it – and don't you dare use the soul mate thing as an excuse!"

" _The soul mate thing_ ," Paul echoed with an amused snort at her wording "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?"

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it, more likely," Cat sighed, adjusting her clothes until she was satisfied "Okay now I really need to go. I'll see you later."

Before she could stand, he grabbed her arm and pulled her in for a kiss before giving her a cheeky grin "You'll be fine. Just stay calm. Take sunglasses."

"If they ask-"

"You went out to meet your brother. You were gonna grab dinner with him and want us to give you guys some time alone before we meet you later and give you a ride back to the cave."

"Very good."

"I know I am."

With a small, sad smile Cat gave him one final, pretty pathetic, wave and ducked out of the alcove. From the second she emerged from behind the curtains, her heart was pounding in her chest. From that point on, she was officially deceiving her brothers. Not even daring to curse to herself, she left the cave as quietly as she could manage, choosing to fly so that her footsteps wouldn't echo.

Flying before sundown was tricky – she couldn't just fly across the open ocean like they would under the cover of night, instead she had to go the way they took the bikes. Even then, she got there in half the time that it took on the bikes. They tended to use the bikes for fun rather than speed, after all, they had all of the time in the world. In any case, the cool air whipping against her face helped to soothe the unpleasant tingling in her skin.

It also worked in combatting the nervous flush that was working its way up her neck and onto her cheeks. David was many things – funny, witty, protective and clever. He was also ruthless and somebody who she'd instinctively pegged as one who was not to be crossed from the second she met him. Everything she was doing in that moment was working against her survival instincts. Not only that, but guilt was eating away at her, and forming an uncomfortable ache in her chest.

David was nowhere near as free with his trust as the others were. Dwayne and Marko had trusted her immediately upon meeting her, purely on the basis that she was Paul's soul mate. David, whilst he had liked and accepted her, had taken longer to _trust_ her. Cat had brought this up to Paul once or twice in passing, and he'd shrugged and mumbled something about past difficulties, so she knew there was a good reason behind it, however this only made her betrayal worse.

But she wouldn't do it if it wasn't imperative that she did. If she had to lose David's trust, possibly forever (literally), to save Jamie's life, then that was what she would do. In any case, losing his trust alone was the best-case scenario. Cat suspected there was a possibility of her losing not only David's trust, but also her life, before the night was through.

BREAK

Her brother was standing outside of his hotel room, stance akin to a bouncer at a nightclub, his case beside him. Cat didn't even fully approach him, but simply whistled and gestured him over before turning on her heel and leading the way down the corridor.

Jamie stood guard, without question albeit a few odd glances while she hotwired a car in a dark corner of a parking lot, before throwing his bag in the back and climbing in the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?" he asked once they were on the move.

"LAX. It'll be a couple of hours," she drummed her fingertips against the steering wheel, scanning the road in front of her as though she expected to see David appear from out of nowhere.

"We're leaving, then?" Jamie's entire demeanour lightened and he sat up in his seat, turning his torso to face her "This is it?"

"This is it," Cat echoed quietly.

"Well then I suppose it's a good thing I brought your passport along then, hmm?" Jamie gave a triumphant laugh, leaning back in his seat.

"You were really that hopeful?" she asked, brow furrowed, sparing a glance in his direction.

"I've…carried it around ever since the police gave up and released your stuff to us. I knew you were alive. I wasn't backing down without a body," he spoke quietly now, barely discernible above Motley Crue's _Primal Scream_ playing on the radio.

Cat leaned forward and turned the radio off.

"If there was any way I could've let you know…" she murmured, keeping her eyes on the road.

"You would've. I know," Jamie took a slow breath in and Cat winced, dreading whatever he was going to say next "I'm not going to force you to talk about whatever those creeps did to you in that cave…to be honest, if you do I'll probably make you turn this car around so I can kill them myself…but if you ever want to talk about it…you can. To me, at least."

Cat's vision blurred and her eyes stung as she blinked furiously, trying to clear her view of the road. She didn't know what hurt worse about her brother's speculation – the fact that she was allowing him to feel so awful for her, or the fact that she was letting him think such horrific things about the Lost Boys, even if it was only for a short amount of time. Sure, they were cold-blooded killers (herself included), and sadistic at the best of times, but what her brother was insinuating? It made her feel sick to her stomach.

Unsure if she could even form words at that point, she gave a few jerky nods of her head and turned the radio back on, doing her best to keep her breathing under control. For now, all she needed to focus on was getting to LAX.

BREAK

Once they arrived at the airport, Cat realised that no matter how stressful the journey there had been, it had nothing on the waiting. At least when she was driving she could _do_ something. But now? Now she had to stall her brother, giving excuse after excuse as to why they weren't getting on the nearest flight out of there. And so, she bought them both dinner at one of the crappy airport diners, deflecting every curious look with a mumbled excuse about not feeling well.

"You'll feel better once we're out of the same country as those pyschopaths," Jamie insisted and Cat sighed, shifting in her seat before throwing the chip in her hand back onto her plate.

"I need a smoke," she sighed, eyeing the sickly pink clock on the wall – it was time "You coming outside?"

Discarding his untouched burger, Jamie nodded wordlessly and stood, waiting for her to lead the way. The more time passed, the more Cat worried. What if something had gone wrong? What if David knew already? What if he was on his way? There was hardly anything he could do in a crowded airport, but the thought still worried Cat and made her fidget nervously every time she caught sight of somebody with platinum blonde hair out of the corner of her eye.

"Calm down," she muttered to herself, striding a few feet in front of her brother "It's not even time yet. He'll be here. He'll probably be here _late_ , knowing him."

Cat's suspicion, however, was proved wrong when she exited the airport to be met with a long, high-pitched whistle. Turning her head back to her brother, she gave him a mournful look. Jamie frowned in confusion at her action, but then his gaze latched onto something behind her. Or rather, _someone_.

"You know," Jamie snarled, marching towards Paul as he leant on his bike "I don't know whether to be outraged that you actually fucking followed her, or delighted at the fact that now I get to kick your teeth in myself."

"Well let me know when you settle on one, man," Paul eyed him, visibly unimpressed with the threat, before turning his attention to Cat, eyes searching hers for any sign that she might suddenly break down. "You good, babe?"

"No" Jamie snapped, stepping between them "You don't even look at her."

Completely ignoring the way Jamie stood like a bodyguard between them, Cat side-stepped him to wrap her arms around the blond. She felt child-like and pathetic, running to the arms of her boyfriend when things got tough, but from the moment his arms wrapped tightly around her, she didn't care. Closing her eyes, Cat sighed and focused on the rise and fall of Paul's chest beneath her cheek, doing her best to match it until she felt calm.

"David caught on faster than you suspected. He doesn't suspect _me_ though," he mumbled into her hair.

She knew the latter half of his sentence was meant to comfort her, but it only made the guilty ache in her chest worse.

The silence that fell over the three of them was deafening. When Cat finally took a step back, she couldn't meet Jamie's gaze, instead choosing to stare at his shoes when she spoke.

"It's okay. I asked Paul to come. He's helping."

" _He_ 's going to help us leave?" Jamie eyed Paul distrustfully.

"Just bein' a good Samaritan, man," Paul shrugged, returning Jamie's unimpressed look unflinchingly.

"Come on, we should find a place to talk and…straighten things out," Cat held a hand out in a gesture to stop Jamie from arguing "Paul isn't the bad guy in this, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, you're quite happy to let him sit and put his hands all over you," Jamie snorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Not here," Cat repeated, pretending not to notice when Paul defiantly slung an arm over her shoulders in retaliation "Somewhere private."

BREAK

They soon learned that the only vaguely "private" place in LAX, happened to be the disabled bathroom. With an unamused sigh, Cat herded the two males in, hung the 'out of order' sign on the door and then locked it behind them before turning to lean on it. Paul, seemingly unfazed by the setting, kicked the toilet lid down with the heel of his boot before sitting on top of it, whilst Jamie stood between the two of them (which he seemed to do a lot, subconsciously or otherwise), arms crossed with an incredulous look on his face.

"So, what's the big revelation then?" he held his hands out, palms upwards as though the answer was going to fall from the ceiling.

His jaw was clenched as he looked between Cat and Paul periodically, almost as though he was watching a tennis match.

"A year ago…When Paul told me there was no good way to tell me this, I didn't believe him," Cat spoke slowly, every word sounding hesitant the moment it left her mouth "I mean, what could be so huge that he couldn't just spit it out and deal with? But…Well, now I know what he meant."

Paul snorted humourlessly, but otherwise remained silent.

"What is it?" Jamie was slowly getting paler, moving to lean against the counter.

"Okay, look, I'm going to explain everything. Tell you the whole truth – because right now pretty much everything you think you know, is a lie. I have one condition."

Jamie nodded.

"Don't say anything until I'm done. I don't care if you don't believe me, because I know you won't, or if you're angry, or whatever. Don't. Interrupt. Me."

Jamie turned his head to look at Paul, as though he expected him to explain Cat's cryptic words, but Paul just raised his eyebrows at him, as though daring him to refuse.

"Fine," he nodded eventually, before his features slackened and he suddenly looked incredibly weary "Just…tell me the fucking truth, Catriona. _Please_."

And so she did.

 **A/N: I'm considering doing the next chapter from Paul's POV, showing what went on with him and the Lost Boys whilst Cat was with Jamie :) please review! And again, I'm so sorry for the delay!**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Again, apologies for the delays! The uni workload is intense, along with all of the new responsibilities that come with having to live away from parents. I figured that a looong update would be better than a short one, after all this time. This chapter gave me hell – I've literally worked on it all month, it's not like I even forgot about the story :')**

* * *

After Cat left, Paul lay around in the alcove for as long as he could. The longer he was in the alcove, the longer his brothers would assume that Cat was with him.

"Nuh-uh, man, remember last time you sent me in there to wake them up? Turned out they were already pretty damn awake."

Cat had been _horrified_ on the evening when Marko interrupted them, her eyes wide and cheeks bright red for days afterwards. She'd barely been able to look at him for the entire following week and vice versa, whilst Paul had found the entire thing hilarious and, of course, did his best to make his girl blush even more. She was always so cute when she blushed. Paul had to throw his forearm across his mouth to stifle a laugh at the memory.

" _I think we should get a, uh, early night," he muttered in Cat's ear, hand trailing up her thigh as she did her best to wriggle in his lap._

 _She knew it drove him crazy, and he loved that she exploited it._

" _Hmm…I think I'd be inclined to agree," her lips broke into a grin, which Paul then mirrored, sliding his left arm under her legs and moving his right to grip her torso so he could lift her up bridal style._

 _None of the boys commented, not even to make a joking remark, they were all more than used to sights like that at this point. However, just before they crossed the entryway into the alcove, he spun – causing Cat to give a shriek and cling tighter – and addressed Marko._

" _Hey, Marko, bro, want me to leave the curtains open this time? That way you won't even have to-,"_

" _Paul!" Cat groaned, hiding her face in his shoulder whilst Marko threw an empty beer can in their direction, missing by a few feet._

" _No? Ok, man, thought I'd offer," Paul shot a shit-eating grin towards his brother, only to be flipped off in return._

He hoped Cat would manage to pull this off. Maybe that way things could go back to how they'd been back then. No drama, no worries, just good old fashioned _fun_. Not only that, but he hated it when Cat was upset. It was distressing for him to even witness. She'd go deadly quiet and have a faraway look on her face, obviously running over her worries again and again in her head. His girl had a habit of joking that she worried enough for the both of them, but Paul wondered if she realised just how true that was. Usually when she started stressin', he'd roll them both a joint, but this was hardly the sort of problem that could be fixed with drugs.

He felt a weight settle in his chest at how pale and shaken she'd looked when she left. This was his fault, after all. If he hadn't turned her…Or if they'd found a way to keep her in touch with her family. All he could do was hope that Dwayne and Marko would at least be on their side, but in all honesty, he couldn't gauge it. Best case scenario that could come from this, as far as Paul was concerned, was that he and Cat would have to leave and go solo. He knew she'd go apeshit when he'd insist on going with her, but he didn't give a damn. Worst case scenario?...Paul didn't even want to think about that one. David was his brother, and they loved each other like brothers – and although he knew Cat didn't think so, he knew David loved her too. He just wasn't exactly the kinda guy to show it. But that didn't mean he didn't have a temper.

In the back of his mind, Paul began to wonder where he and Cat would go if it came to it. Maybe Montana. She was always saying how much she missed the mountains in Scotland, and Montana had plenty of those. They could come back in a couple of years – or maybe decades – to see if David had cooled off. He wouldn't mind spending a few years in some remote place with Cat. Sure, it'd be quiet, but it wouldn't be permanent. Like an extended honeymoon. They'd never had one of those, after all, and immortality entitled them to a long one.

"Oh, for the love of…" he heard David mutter, and then footsteps draw near the alcove "Hey! Lovebirds! You decent?"

Paul flung his arm across his eyes and feigned sleep, just in time as the curtains swept open.

"…Where's Cat?" David asked quietly, after a few moments of silence.

"Huh?" Paul groaned, hoping his acting skills were better than he thought.

"Cat. Y'know. Short chick, dark hair, you usually come in a pair. Where is she?"

"Went out to grab dinner with her brother. Says we gotta go get them in a couple o' hours."

"You let her go out with him _alone_?"

"Didn't _let_ her do nothin'. She's a grown ass woman," Paul snorted, cracking an eye open "Cat can do what she wants."

"Not in this situation, she can't," David sneered "Get up. We're gonna go find them. Now."

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Marko appeared in the entrance now.

"Either I'm wrong, or Cat's doing something very stupid right now."

"Hey, man, she wouldn't do that to us," Paul rolled his eyes, leaning up on his elbows "She can't wait for her brother to join us."

"So she says. Get up."

* * *

"I don't see her anywhere."

Paul didn't know if David sounded more smug or dangerous.

"She's gotta be, man," Paul did his best to sound angry "She couldn't do this. Not to us."

"Wouldn't she?" Marko didn't look convinced.

"We know she would," Dwayne sighed, shaking his head.

"God _damnit_!" Paul kicked at the sand beneath his feet, sending it flying into the air "I'm gonna fuckin' find her."

"I'll come with-," David began.

"Nuh-uh," Paul shook his head, already striding towards his bike "Me n' Cat got some shit to have out. Scope out the hotel, the bus station, the diners, fuck, even the cave."

"This ain't gonna end well," Dwayne muttered as Paul took off.

* * *

 _Present time_

"I'm not leaving Santa Carla," Cat forced out the hardest part first, wanting to move across the bathroom to stand beside Paul for some semblance of support, but not wanting to get any closer to Jamie after she'd said those dreaded words "And…I'm with Paul. Willingly, consensually, however you want to put it. We're…we're in love."

The words sounded so pathetic out loud, but really, could words describe what she and Paul had? How she immediately felt better in any given situation when she heard his voice? Or even just his quiet snickering. How she was never happier than when she was on the back of his bike, laughing and hollering along with her brothers. Even when they were just lazing around in the alcove, usually either half or fully naked, warm in each other's arms and murmuring in the dark about nothing in particular, Cat couldn't think of a place she'd rather be. Of course, a few nights ago she'd been convinced that the only thing that could improve her situation would be the presence of her family. She'd never taken the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' seriously before then.

She eyed Jamie quietly, not doubting that he'd break the 'no speaking' rule immediately after that revelation. His lips were set in a thin line as he looked to Paul and then slowly back to her.

"I was expecting him to freak out," Paul broke the silence in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Oh, it's in the post," Cat replied grimly, not taking her eyes off of her brother.

"Are you pregnant?" Jamie's voice was deadly quiet as he eyed her abdomen, masked by the bagginess of the t-shirt she wore.

Paul visibly winced as Cat's eyes widened and she spluttered, struggling to form a coherent sentence.

"No!" she managed after a few moments "Why did you- I mean, what did you-….Where did that even come from?!"

"I'm trying to think of what on Earth could possess you to be so damn stupid! So what? You meet this wanker and decide you love him? Catriona, you _laughed_ at boys who liked you back home. What makes him so different? The sister I knew would be on a plane back home with me right now. You? You're making me stand here and listen to some sob story about a summer fling!"

"I love him," she murmured weakly.

"Away and shite!" Jamie's voice rose to a shout now and Paul slowly rose to his feet.

"You need to calm down, man."

"Oh, aye? And what are you going to do? Shag my sister some more?"

Half of Cat was sickeningly offended at that comment. Her own brother talking about her like she was nothing more than a slut. However, the other half of her knew she was in no position to argue…and even if she was, what could she say?

"Funny, looks like she'd rather that than go back home with you," Paul gave a smug, somewhat humourless, smirk and Jamie drew his fist back.

"Enough!" Cat snapped "There'll be enough time for you two to rip into each other when I'm done talking."

"Oh, there's more? This should be grand. Do go on," Jamie snorted, dropping his fist with a shake of his head, backing away from Paul.

The latter moved to stand beside Cat, grasping her hand gently and running his thumb over her tattooed finger, which she knew was just as much to antagonise Jamie as it was to comfort her.

"On the night I spent at the cave, when Paul and I…" she didn't even have to look at Paul to know he was smirking "Well, you know. Something happened."

"If this is the part where you say you felt some kind of 'connection', I'm leaving and phoning mum right now," Jamie shook his head.

"Oh, there was a connection," Paul snickered and Cat rounded on him.

"If you're not going to help, you can wait outside," she threatened and the seriousness of the situation seemed to catch up with him once more.

"Yeah," he sighed in apology and Cat turned back to Jamie.

"Something changed… _I_ changed. I mean, I didn't know it yet, but I did…"

"I thought you said you weren't pregnant."

"I'm not! If I'd gotten pregnant back then, do you not think there'd be some kind of kid now?" she snapped and then shook her head with a sigh before directing her gaze towards the blond at her side "How the hell do I even begin to explain this?"

"Honestly? Just say it. He ain't gonna believe you either way, no matter how much you beat around the bush," Paul shrugged, biting on the inside of his cheek.

"You've spent long enough, 'beating around the bush', I think," Jamie grumbled, and for the first time, Cat felt a burst of frustrated anger build up in her chest.

She took a few steps forward, barely aware of Paul moving to lean against the door as she did, keeping the exit blocked. Did Jamie not see how hard this was on her? Fair play, he probably didn't realise the secret she was keeping was quite so absurd, but he had to know it was something huge for her to keep it from him for this long. For her to do everything she'd done.

"Fine? You want me to just tell you all of it straight, yeah?" her eyebrows rose to her hairline as she held her arms out to her sides.

"For the love of god, do! I don't know what kind of melodrama is making you act so-," her anger ignited her brother's, as it so often had in her old life, but she didn't give him a chance to finish.

"I'm a vampire. Paul's a vampire. We're all vampires – the Lost Boys, I mean. I met them, fell in love with Paul and he bit me. He drank my blood and fed me his. This was after we, how did you put it? Shagged? Yeah. I killed Bryana, then I killed Sophie and then I moved into the cave. Questions?"

"Let me out of here," Jamie shook his head "This isn't funny. I need to phone our mother so she can stop worrying herself si-."

"He doesn't believe me," she spoke to Paul now, and Jamie stopped trying to move towards the door.

"Show him," Paul shrugged.

" _Show_ him? Remember what happened when you showed me?"

"Hey, you believed me, didn't you?"

"After I fainted."

"You gave him fair warning."

"I can't show him."

"Fine, I will."

"No! We agreed-."

"That I'd help. We ain't got no other way to prove it, and if we don't prove it, he ain't gonna believe it, and you're just gonna get more and more upset."

Cat stared at Paul pleadingly and he returned her gaze with no small amount of sympathy, after all, he knew how she was feeling.

"I'll show him," she said the words quietly, feeling a great sense of dread wash over her like a bucket of icy water.

Jamie was watching her, arms crossed and unimpressed. Cat led him towards the toilet, which she was sure in any other situation would look quite comical, before reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder and gesturing for him to sit down on the lid. Begrudgingly and stony-faced, Jamie complied. Cat knelt before him as though she were about to begin praying, and stared up at him imploringly. She thought she'd regret her outburst as soon as it left her lips, but truly, she was relieved. In her heart, she knew he'd never believe her if she simply told him. At least now she'd tried and could move onto the next, and most difficult, stage.

"Listen, no matter what else I am, I'm your sister. I will never hurt you. I will never let anybody else hurt you. Do you understand?" she spoke slowly, as though to a child.

Jamie sighed and shifted on the toilet lid, looking up at Paul questioningly before meeting her gaze once more, a hint of curiosity on his face "Aye."

Once the word let his lips, Cat allowed her features to change. First she felt the bones in her face shift and crack, protruding from her skin, next she felt her teeth sharpen and protrude against her lips, and finally her vision seemed to improve tenfold, signalling that her eyes had changed colour. With each change, Jamie's eyes seemed to widen more and more until they were the size of dinner plates, and he scrambled backwards on the toilet seat, causing hurt to flare through Cat's chest. She did her best not to take it personally as she observed Jamie, his mouth moving but failing to form any words. After all, she'd been terrified of Paul when he broke the news to her. She could still vividly remember the terror that coursed through her at the sight of his vampire form. Of course, she knew now that he'd never do anything to harm her, but that knowledge hardly lessened the pure fright that came with seeing a creature, or monster, that she'd previously deemed mythical.

Immediately, Cat let her features fall back into their human form, brow furrowing slightly at the feeling.

"So…Now do you believe me?"

"You…You…You were serious," he spoke slowly and quietly, staring at her like he'd just seen a ghost.

Or a vampire.

"Paul bit me," she explained softly, not moving from her position on the floor "Because we're soulmates – that's the legit term, I'm not being sappy. I couldn't go home after that…and nobody could find out the truth…I killed Bryana and Sophie and we staged the whole disappearance."

Of course, she'd simplified the whole complicated ordeal, but from the grey tone Jamie's face was taking, she knew he wasn't up to a long tale.

"We made her do it."

Paul's voice was quiet and solemn. The second the blond spoke, Jamie's head snapped up as though just remembering that Paul was present.

"You did this to her," he slowly began to rise to his feet, causing Cat to spring up.

"Jamie," she said lowly, doing her best to stand between her brother and Paul to break his line of sight, but failed spectacularly due to her height "Jamie, stop."

It was like he couldn't hear her. Planting her hands on his chest, Cat tried to push him back, but it was futile as he continued to step forward, towards Paul.

"It was all my fault man," Paul continued, unfazed by Jamie's advance "She didn't know what we were 'til after we turned her. Then we made her do it all. She didn't want none of it."

"Paul, you're not helping!" Cat cried incredulously, refusing to remove her eyes from Jamie in case he lashed out.

"Don't be mad at Cat," he sighed "It's my fault."

"If you're going to try and play the hero, Paul, tell him how much you're risking just by being here right now," she snapped,

"Sure, and then we'll talk about how much you're risking for your mom right now. Because of me."

This caught Jamie's attention and he stopped in his tracks, which Cat was grateful for. If he'd continued, she's end up sandwiched between him and Paul.

"Because of David," she corrected quietly.

"He's going to hurt you?" Jamie asked "David?

"Paul," Cat sighed "You brought the money, right?"

"'Course."

"Go buy a ticket to the UK. I don't care where in the UK, whichever one's soonest."

"Babe, I-."

" _Please_ , Paul."

He said nothing, but after a few moments she heard the door click open and he slipped out. Cat locked it again behind him.

"You get why I had to fake my death? I mean, if word gets out to anybody about _vampires_ …shit would hit the fan, to say the least," suddenly feeling very drained, Cat side-stepped Jamie and walked to sit on the lid of the toilet, ignoring how her legs shook.

"I get it."

"It's also why I needed to…do what I did. With Sophie and Bryana. I didn't want to. Fuck, I begged not to. For a while afterwards, Cat was practically short for _catatonic_ ," she tried to laugh to lighten the situation, but it came out strained and awkward "But…I understand why I had to. If I was David, I'd have made the same call. You need to get that. He's not the villain in this scenario."

"Then who is?"

"…Fate?" she had to snort at how cheesy the response was "Honestly, there isn't one. This is just a big shitstorm of a circumstance. Paul and I _are_ soulmates – though that's not as much of a hard thing to believe after the whole vampire thing. Basically, we met and instantly fell in love. That's why he turned me. We'd have both been miserable if I'd moved back home."

"You're not telling me how you're in danger."

"David wants me to turn you, and then fake your death. Can't have you leaving if you know I'm alive. It…Well, it makes things fucking dangerous for us. What if you left and told everybody?"

"I wouldn't!"

"I know that. Nothing I could say to David would convince him, though – and rightly so. These are our _lives_ on the line here."

"So…you don't want me to stay?" Jamie stared at her, an emotion akin to hurt on his face.

"If there were no downsides, I'd love it. But it wouldn't be worth it."

"Wouldn't be worth what?"

"What it would do to mum!" the sentence came out harsher than she intended, and she winced afterwards "Do you really think she'd survive losing both of us? Go home. Tell her you didn't find anything. Let her have the funeral."

"And just continue to think of you as dead?" his voice was hoarse now, and a heavy weight settled in Cat's chest.

"Look," her words were on the edge of breaking "If…If David reacts _badly_ to this, best case scenario me n' Paul leave Santa Carla. If I can, I'll convince him to travel across Europe and maybe into the UK. It'll take time – we can only really travel at night, obviously – but meeting up is possible."

"Worst case scenario?"

"You won't need to pretend I'm dead," she admitted softly, blood chilling at what she'd just admitted "Paul swears David loves me more than I realise. I hope he's right. Betraying David's trust is truly fucking stupid, to be frank."

Before Jamie could respond, the beat of _Smoke on the Water_ was banged out against the door. Leave it to Paul to inject humour into any situation.

"I got the ticket but he needs to shake a leg," he called through the door.

Cat and Jamie exchanged a mournful look. No doubt this wasn't exactly the reunion Jamie had been planning on.

"I should sta-"

"How much longer are we going to argue over this?" she sighed "Even if it wasn't for mum, after all this shit David would probably kill you just to spite me if I brought you back to the cave now."

"And that's the kind of guy you want me to leave you with!" he pointed out, wildly gesturing in an effort to emphasise his point.

"Babe? You okay?" Paul's voice called through the door again.

"No, that is," Cat pointed towards the door as she spoke to Jamie "I know you don't want to hear it, but there's nobody better you could leave me with right now than Paul."

"Of course that's not what I want to bloody hear!" Jamie shouted, earning a reaction from Paul immediately.

"Let me in," he commanded, the sound of his fist thumping against the door drawing them both from their interaction.

"All we're doing is delaying the inevitable," Cat sighed, nausea settling in as she crossed the room and unlocked the door, not pausing in her words to greet Paul as he slipped into the room "I don't want it to be like this...but it is like this. You think I haven't been over every possibility in my head for the last twenty four hours? This is the only way. I wish we had time to sit and chat, and grab coffee and catch up on the good old days, but we don't!"

Paul seemed to be losing patience too, unable to stand still or stop fidgeting, peeking out of the door every so often as though expecting to find his brothers there.

"She's right," he echoed "I don't really pride myself in my acting skills."

"They are pretty dire," Cat teased despite herself, remembering back to before he'd told her he was a vampire.

Their first week or so together was something that they now looked back on with a sad kind of amusement, and Paul turned his attention from the gap in the door to give her a small smile. Jamie's eyes were, once again, flitting between Cat and Paul, and Cat tensed, watching her brother warily, ready for yet another attack on their relationship. It never came.

"I can't believe this," he spoke quietly, visibly deflating "So…Nothing changes?"

His tone brought tears to Cat's eyes, and she stared at Jamie's trainers, unable to meet his gaze or even form words.

"There's no happy ending here," she finally admitted, her voice quiet and weak "I'm sorry…At least you'll know I didn't die out here. And that I'm happy."

"And a fucking _vampire_ , Catriona."

"That's…part of the deal," she sighed "And it's not something that I expect you to come to terms with immediately…If ever, I guess."

The uncharacteristically anxious look on Paul's face told Cat that time was running out "We need to go."

Jamie made a sound in the back of his throat, akin to a growl. Then he extended an arm and pulled Cat into a tight hug. Automatically, Cat latched onto her brother and the tears began to flow. Sobbing into Jamie's t-shirt, Cat mumbled apologies, struggling to keep her tears below a hysterical level.

"You'd better look after her," Jamie ordered Paul over Cat's shoulder "She doesn't need it, but do it anyway."

"I will, man," Paul replied solemnly before rocking back and forth awkwardly and continuing.

"Hey man," Paul sighed sheepishly, clearly uncomfortable at interrupting the moment "I kinda set up a few things back at the post office on the boardwalk when the guys thought I was lookin' for Cat. She has a mail box there now, under the name Catherine McCarter."

Cat and Jamie both stared at Paul in disbelief, stepping away from each other, Cat's heart swelling with so many positive emotions for her soulmate.

"I figured you can…y'know, write and shit," he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, withdrawing a scrap of paper with an address scrawled on it and holding it out to Jamie.

Her brother's mouth opened and closed wordlessly before he finally settled for nodding, stepping forward and accepting the paper.

"Let's get this over with," Cat announced after a few moments of reluctant silence, voice scratchy.

Paul was the first to move, opening the door with a sigh. The next time anybody said anything was just before the security checkpoint.

"Remember what you promised me, Catriona," Jamie persuaded, rounding on her and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I do," Cat managed, pulling her brother in for one last hug, wanting to commit it to memory on the chance that it would be the last.

In the end, she had to practically peel herself away from Jamie, automatically seeking out the arms of Paul afterwards, watching mournfully as her brother made his way towards security.

"What did you promise him?" Paul asked quietly once Jamie was out of earshot.

"That I'd try to visit if David doesn't kill me," she didn't once take her eyes off of her brother as he passed through security, throwing glances back at her every so often as he was herded down the line.

"Us. If he doesn't kill us."

"He'd never kill you."

"If he killed you, he'd have to. I wouldn't give him no choice about it," Paul's tone was more weary than anything else, he was equally dreading what the night still held in store.

* * *

They sat outside the airport quietly for more than half an hour before Cat was ready to move on. In the end they decided to check into a cheap motel for the night to recover before facing David the next day. Both agreed that they'd rather face David early on in the night, without the risk of sunlight interrupting them and adding even more danger.

"Do you ever wish we were normal?" Paul asked as they settled into the bed after sun-proofing the room.

"If we were, you'd be dead right now. So no, not really," Cat murmured wearily into his chest, bare legs entwined with his.

"Nah, not like that...I mean completely different circumstances. Like, what if I was Scottish and we were childhood sweethearts?" he put on an awful impression of a Scottish accent and she interrupted before he could continue.

"Please never do that again," the corners of her lips twitched upwards, despite herself "I will honestly walk out of this room."

"Sun's on the rise."

"I'd rather face it than hear that again."

"That hurts, babe. Y'know you went majorly Scottish earlier."

"I always do when I talk my family," she sighed "My friends from uni back in London found it hilarious whenever my mum phoned and suddenly they'd struggle to understand a word I said."

"I think it's pretty hot."

"Of course you do," she gave a short, soft laugh, reaching for his hand "Is there anything I do that you don't find hot?"

"Sometimes you put clothes on and it really bums me out."

Cat grinned at that, shaking her head and ignoring the burning in her cheeks. Paul grinned back at her, clearly he'd achieved his goal of putting a smile on her face.

"Anyway, what was your point? Before we got distracted by my sexy accent."

"Okay, so...say we were just some normal ass, boring couple."

"Boring?"

"Okay, well maybe not boring. Human."

"So what, a white picket fence, careers, bills?"

"Maybe even a dog. Normality at its finest."

"Please, we'd have a cat. Or ten. Anyway, it doesn't sound very 'us', does it?" Cat said "I can't imagine us as some middle aged, domestic couple. You getting home from a long day at the office, me cooking dinner."

She couldn't help but laugh at the thought, and Paul was quick to join in.

"Couple o' kids runnin' around," he added.

His tone was light, but the reluctant way he spoke gave him away.

"So that's what this is about," she murmured, raising her eyebrows at him.

"I know it got to you when your brother asked if you're pregnant...and things weren't exactly stellar between us last time we talked about the whole thing."

"And _now_ is a good time? There's nothing to really talk about," Cat shrugged, moving to lean on her elbow as she faced him.

"You never really considered the alternative," Paul pressed "We need to talk it out – you're the one always saying that. You don't need even more crap spinnin' round in your head right now."

"The alternative? Stealing a baby away from an orphanage in the dead of night?" she snorted "It's not really an option, love. We don't live a very child friendly lifestyle. Your bike doesn't exactly have space for a baby seat. We live in a cave – or we might be homeless after tomorrow. We smoke enough weed between us per week to knock out an elephant, drink vodka like it's water and shag like rabbits. Where would a child fit into any of that? There's not even any of it I'd want to give up, but I mean, we're vampires, for crying out loud. If the kid wandered out during the day, there'd be nothing we could do to stop it. Hell, we probably wouldn't even wake up and it could get hurt."

"You've thought about this a lot," he blinked in surprise at her tirade.

"Just because I don't talk about something, doesn't mean I don't think about it," she shrugged, shifting to rest her head on his chest "And anyway...adoption is a beautiful, amazing thing...but I wouldn't want that. I'd want to conceive our baby – which I'm sure wouldn't be an issue – then carry it, then give birth to it...and then raise it. I'd want...A little girl, with my eyes and your smile. Or, I dunno, a boy with your hair and my nose. But we can never have that, and that's just the way it is."

"I'm sorry, babe," one of his arms snaked around her waist, his thumb rubbing circles against her skin.

"Don't be. Kids are for people to have something to help them feel fulfilled when they're old. We won't ever have that problem. And anyways, we have each other."

"Damn right we do."

She smiled up at him before he leaned down to kiss her.

"Paul?" she spoke into the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"We've talked about what I want, but not you. If we could have kids, would you want them?"

There was silence for a few moments and Cat wasn't sure why she felt nerves begin to bundle in her chest.

"A whole damn troop, babe."

"My poor body!" she laughed "I suppose it's a good thing we can't, then. I'd look like a whale."

"Nah, you'd be a total MILF."

"Paul!" she erupted into a fit of giggles, unable to believe what he'd just said.

"Made you laugh, didn't I?"

"You always do," she rolled her eyes before closing them.

She was just about to drift to sleep when Paul spoke again.

"I love you."

Her eyes flew open at the admission, unused to Paul being so vocally affectionate.

"I love you, too."

"We're gonna be fine, y'know?"

He sounded so utterly sure, for a few seconds Cat's heartbeat actually calmed.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Haaaaa okay so I'm meeting Nikki Sixx tomorrow and because I'm so freaked out I can't sit still, I decided to try and distract myself by writing…and this happened! So yay! Two updates in quick succession!**

* * *

The blaring carousel music was almost menacing as Cat and Paul sped through the boardwalk, not bothering to stop as they sped on to the cave. Despite their intentions of leaving early on in the night, they hadn't been able to bring themselves to do so, and so spent the night on Sunset Strip, flirting and pretending everything was okay. The atmosphere had grown heavy ever since they'd forced themselves to finally leave LA, and Cat was struggling to hide the way her limbs trembled, despite being pressed tightly against Paul. The sound of the bike gave them away when they arrived home, meaning they couldn't linger outside to build up their energy.

Wordlessly, Paul pulled Cat into a tight embrace – she was sure that even if she let her legs buckle, she wouldn't move an inch because of how tightly he held her.

"We're gonna be okay," once he let go she whispered words she didn't even believe, glancing back anxiously towards the fiery glow emitting from the mouth of the cave "But you can't tell them you were in on this."

"I ain't letting you throw yourself under the bus. Remember what I promised your brother?"

Cat stared at him for a few moments, unsure whether she wanted to yell at him or thank him. Then she shook her head. The last person she wanted to yell at was Paul. With a sigh, she stepped back towards him, anchored herself by placing her hands on his shoulders and pulled herself up to her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his, revelling in the way his hands slid down her ribs to rest on her hips.

It took all of the willpower she had to step backwards and begin leading the way down to the cave, her heart hammering in her chest as she did so.

Dwayne was the first one she made eye contact with upon entering, and whilst she hadn't dared to hope that he'd agree with her, it still hurt when he shook his head and looked away. Next, she looked to Marko, who wasn't looking at her at all, but gnawing on his lip as he stared at David, waiting for a reaction. David…David looked downright murderous, but once her eyes locked on his, Cat couldn't look away.

Jumping down the last few feet of the slope, Cat didn't enter the cave any further, even when she felt Paul land behind her.

"Where is he, Cat?" David's voice was dangerous as he rounded on her.

"England, by now," Cat admitted quietly.

"And you knew about this," David's cold gaze flickered from Cat's to somewhere above her right shoulder.

"Jamie won't say anything, David," Cat drew his attention back to her, taking a few steps forward after being encouraged by the blond's lack of outward rage "Worst case scenario, he comes back to see me a decade or two from no-"

She was cut off by the impact of David's fist. Cat stumbled backwards and went down to one knee, stars flashing before her eyes as she battled the disorientation and the pain that blossomed throughout the left side of her face. When she finally gained her bearings, Paul was nose to nose with David and the cave was deadly silent. David was visibly seething now.

"I deserved that," she breathed, thanking Marko when he pulled her to her feet.

"If this brings any kind of heat down on us-" David began with a snarl, eyes not moving from Paul.

"If it does, I'll leave," she said immediately, trying not to focus on the throbbing pain in her face "And I won't come back. Problem solved. But do you remember the state I was in after Sophie and Bryana? I was barely close to them. If...If I'd have killed Jamie? I'd have killed myself straight after. That much is a certainty. Maybe you don't care about that, but I think we all know what would've happened to Paul afterwards. If I turned him, that'd kill our mother. Same scenario goes down. I took a risk, but that's better than guaranteeing at least three deaths in the span of twenty four hours."

Nobody moved.

"Come on Paul," she tugged at his arm "It was my fault."

Once Paul finally took a step back, she noticed the look of guilt on David's face when he looked at her. It was quickly hidden by a mask of aloofness, but she caught it.

"You can't do that, man," Dwayne shook his head at David, sounding oddly weary.

The guilt flickered on David's face again.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Cat sighed, rounded on David and hit him with a solid right hook.

The last thing she wanted was emotions clouding his judgement and making him resent her for it further down the line. He didn't go falling back as Cat had, but he still stumbled.

"Now we're even," she breathed, massaging her fist with her left hand, wincing at how her knuckles burned.

For a second she thought David might hit her again, but she felt Paul get closer behind her, and David simply shoved past them, storming towards where he and the guys slept, demolishing the chair that was in his way.

Dwayne sighed and moved slowly to follow him.

"Dwayne-," Cat began weakly, but was cut off.

"Let me think, Cat," he said sternly, not meeting her gaze.

Paul's hand moved to her shoulder as her chest tightened.

"Stupid move, sis," Marko shrugged with a sigh, last to make his exit.

He shot Paul a sympathetic gaze and followed his two brothers.

"I…I'll go get a hotel room," Cat lifted her fingertips to the side of her face with a wince "Me being here isn't going to help David calm down."

"We're not goin' anywhere," Paul disagreed immediately, already leading the way towards the alcove "Sure, we let David lead the way, but he ain't king. We stay here 'til we're told to do otherwise. By _everyone_."

She'd never see him look so stern before, and almost winced at how his voice echoed around the cave, to where their brothers would undoubtedly hear his words. Or were they still her brothers? In saving one, Cat was terrified that she'd lost three. Biting at the side of her thumb, she reluctantly followed Paul into the alcove, unable to help the sense of comfort that overwhelmed her when met with the atmosphere of their "bedroom". It was unbelievable how much the cave had become a home in only a year.

"Dwayne hates me," she murmured half-heartedly, picking up an unopened can of beer from the floor to press it to the left side of her face.

"He ain't capable of hating you," Paul sounded preoccupied, growing increasingly frustrated with the clasp on one of his bracelets.

"You heard the way he spoke to me," Cat pointed out wearily, handing him the beer can and taking his wrist in her now free hands, undoing the clasp for him "I've never heard him that angry…full stop."

"He's hurt. You guys are close and you duped him," Paul sighed tiredly at the hurt look that crossed Cat's face "In his perspective, babe. He'll come round."

"And what about you and them? Don't think I didn't notice they barely said a wo-," she was cut off when he brushed her hair away from the side of her face and gently pressed the beer to the forming bruise again.

"Don't worry about it."

The fact that his tone was far from its usual, upbeat and cheery self, told Cat that Paul wasn't taking his own advice.

"This is only gonna be fixed if we talk it out…and David isn't big on talking, unless he's the one doing it," she murmured quietly, pulling her face away from the beer can and stepping away so she could undress.

"He's slow to trust and even slower to forgive…Freakin' _glacial_ to forgive, actually," Paul shrugged, dropping the beer onto the mattress before shrugging his jacket off "Has been ever since Star."

"Who were they?" Cat asked "Star and Michael, Michael and Star. I hear their names every so often from Marko or Dwayne, but they'll never explain to me."

"David's story to tell," Paul shrugged once again.

"I deserve to know why David's never trusted me from the start," Cat grumbled, climbing onto the mattress and burrowing underneath the many blankets, silently willing for them to swallow her whole.

"If he'd never trusted you, he'd wouldn't be so pissed now."

"That makes me feel better."

"You want me to be honest, or you want me to patronise you?" Paul was unamused, not sparing her a glance as he lit a couple of candles, and Cat dropped her head.

"Sorry," she murmured.

Paul stopped and sighed, closing his eyes before opening them and settling his gaze on her.

"Don't be. I'm just…tired."

"I know," she nodded, holding out a hand to him "Things are shitty right now."

He accepted it and slumped into the mattress alongside her.

"Star was David's girl…for a time."

Cat almost jumped when Paul started talking after a few minutes of silence.

"You don't have to-."

"You're right, you deserve to know. Remember we told you about Max? The one that died?"

"Sure."

"I wasn't lying when I said he was the only one with any interest in all of the soul mate stuff. But David went through…I dunno, I guess a _phase_? He just got lonely. Wanted a girl. So one night, he gets real drunk and then he sees Star. They hit it off and he didn't say nothin', but we're all pretty sure that he thought she was his soul mate. Turned her their first damn night together – with the bottle. A week later, I guess the honeymoon phase wore off. Star was…I dunno, she was a nice chick, but that was the problem – she was _nice_. Weak. Couldn't justify the feeding – even if it was on Surf Nazis."

"Understandable," Cat muttered.

"We even picked up a kid off o' the streets to look after, tryin' to cheer her up. Laddie. He was awesome. So like one month in, she's still a half vampire-."

"A _month_ in?!"

"Told you she wasn't cut out for this," he shrugged, frowning at the ceiling at whatever mental images were conjured by the tale "And neither was Laddie. So then she met Michael. He seemed like an alright guy – rode a bike too, seemed like it was all meant to be. One big happy family. David, at this point, didn't give two shits about Star anymore. I think he was embarrassed by the whole thing. At first he was tryin' to get Star to kill Michael – the dude was _drooling_ over her, it would've been all too easy."

"I remember a certain vampire _drooling_ over me," she teased quietly as he mocked 'Michael'.

"I remember a certain chick drooling back," he quipped, a proud smirk tugging at the side of his mouth "Anyway, Star wasn't havin' it, she was pretty much in love with the guy straight away – that or she saw him as her ticket outta here. I dunno. Either way, she got attached and David got him to drink the blood. Basically _gave_ Star to the guy, too."

"What kind of brothel was this place before I stepped in on the scene?"

It felt good to joke. It was a return to normality, if only a small one.

"Yeah, because there's so much less sex here now that you're here," he snorted, his fingertips grazing her abdomen as if to prove his point "And so Michael, like Star, wasn't cut out for the whole feeding thing, either…and Star knew how to reverse being a half-vampire."

"There's a way to reverse it?!" Cat sat up, staring at him in shock "Why didn't you tell me?!"

He sighed "Kill the head vampire. Any half vamps who were turned by them, turn human again."

"Oh…" she murmured quietly "It was to protect David?"

"I think you can understand," he nodded "But at the time, the head vampire was Max. Somehow they figured it out with those assholes who run that comic book store and they staked Max. They were gonna come after us, but in the end they chickened out and skipped town during the day. So we lost someone because we were careless with what chick we let in."

Suddenly Cat understood everything. When she and Paul first got together, the first thought in David's mind had probably been "what brother are we going to lose this time?". It wasn't something Cat would have been able to put up with without losing her sanity.

"But how come Dwayne and Marko trusted me so quickly?"

"They weren't the ones that let Star in. David blames himself, so I guess it skews his view of things."

One of the last things Cat had expected to feel that night was sympathy towards David, of all people, but suddenly the guilt weighed even more heavily on her, and she had no idea what she could do to fix it.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Very saddened by recent events :( RIP Brooke McCarter. I'm sorry for the delay. I had to go on a writing hiatus because anything and everything I wrote was just absolute crap, and you guys deserve better ;) thanks for all of the lovely feedback. Keep it coming! It motivates me to write.**

Marko was the quickest to forgive her. Three nights after her return to the cave, he emerged from where her three brothers slept, pulled her into a hug and all was back to normal between them. It was more than she could have hoped for. It almost made up for how badly Dwayne and David were freezing her out.

With the exception of Jamie, before the Lost Boys, Cat had never really been friends with that many guys. She hadn't been friends with many people at all – but most of them had been girls. Although she'd always rolled her eyes at girls who boasted about being 'one of the guys' and how 'guys are so much less drama!', but she had to admit, there was a difference – although the biggest difference between the guys and her old friends was hardly their gender, so she didn't know if it could fairly be pegged up to that.

They were just so laid-back. She never stood a risk of accidentally offending one of them if a remark came out wrong, and when somebody did piss off the other (and it had to be pretty severe, for one Lost Boy to piss off another), it was addressed within seconds with a "what the fuck, bro?", a shrug and a quick apology and that was it forgotten. There was no passive aggression, no freezing somebody out and no petty squabbling. Well, up until now.

Dwayne hurt her the most. Cat missed the evenings where she felt too tired to go out, and she and Dwayne would hang out in the cave, reading or talking. He hadn't said a word to her in three weeks, despite letting Paul back in relatively quickly. He wouldn't even look at her. It was annoying Paul too, and it took all of her persuasive powers to stop him from bringing it up with his brother.

" _You should sleep," he murmured, head leaning forward between her shoulder blades early one morning as she read by the candlelight._

" _Can't," Cat replied quietly, turning to the next page of her book._

" _You ain't tried."_

" _Because I know I won't be able to."_

" _Is this about your brother?"_

 _Cat tensed and then sighed, closing the book and setting it gently in her lap "Yes, but not Jamie."_

" _David?"_

" _Third time lucky?"_

" _Dwayne."_

" _You should talk to him, babe."_

 _He wrapped his arms around her middle and she gave in, laying back against his chest and revelling in the feeling of his bare skin against hers._

" _He doesn't want to talk to me. He wants to think."_

" _He wants to brood and get himself even more pissed off," Paul countered "It's stupid! I'm just as guilty as you but he's fine with me!"_

" _If I leave him for a while, he'll cool off," Cat pointed out quietly "And he knows you'd help me no matter what."_

" _If you leave him, this is gonna go on for who knows how long, he's gonna sit and get more pissed off 'cuz he'll be able to brood. While he's doing that, you're gonna get more and more upset and sleep maybe like 5 hours a week."_

 _She gave a weary sigh, accepting his words as the truth. Paul seemed to sense a need to lighten the mood, so he continued._

" _So then I'll be tired too, and we won't have the energy to screw and everything'll suck," she felt him grin against her skin before he pecked the back of her neck._

" _I prefer the term 'make love'," she snorted sarcastically and then laughed when he snatched the book from her hands and threw it across the alcove, not even bothering to protest "I was enjoying that book, you know."_

" _Well," he scooted closer to her so that she sat between his thighs, his chest against her back "Now I'm gonna help you sleep."_

" _How?" she struggled to keep up her calm façade "Are you going to bore me to death?"_

 _She knew he was fully aware of what she was doing – which was why he rose to her bait. Teasing him like this always elicited the best reactions, as it was in his nature to want to prove to her just how wrong she was. Cat gasped out loud as Paul's palm moved, flat against her side, over her bare hip bone and down, between her thighs._

" _Still bored?" he asked, smirking into her neck as she arched her back, pressing her shoulders against his chest._

" _Very," she practically purred._

 _He sighed and moved his hand back to his side and Cat's eyes flew open._

" _Paul!"_

" _Well," he shrugged "I'll just have to prove you wrong in the morning. After you get some sleep."_

 _Cat rolled out from between his legs and sat beside him on the mattress, staring at him in disbelief "Are you seriously trying to bribe me with sex?"_

" _Maybe," he gave her a shit-eating grin, lying down "C'mon, babe. Sleep."_

 _She couldn't quite believe what was going on, and had no idea whether to laugh or cry. Then, she discovered a third option and smirked._

" _Y'know, Paul, there's no need to be embarrassed," she sighed, lying down and turning away from him, pretending she was settling down to sleep._

 _Automatically, he pulled her closer to him and then seemed to think for a moment before replying "…Why would I be embarrassed?"_

" _It doesn't matter. Goodnight."_

" _Cat," he groaned._

" _Just that excuse about bribing me. I get it, I do. You're getting old – you can't be expected to get it up_ _ **every**_ _time," her accusation was disproved before she said it, judging by what she felt pressing into her backside, and she had to struggle to keep a straight face "It's fine, we'll just sleep…Better luck next time, love."_

 _That final sentence was the nail in the coffin, and she couldn't help but let out a snort as she lay there, squeezing her eyes shut, waiting for a reaction._

" _Oh, you bitch," he groaned, more lovingly than Cat thought possible._

 _Within moments, he'd shifted them so that he lay on top of her, staring down with a mock scowl, grey eyes flickering in the candlelight._

" _No more troubles?" she blinked innocently._

 _He leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him and he blinked in confusion._

" _Don't say anything to Dwayne?" she asked quietly._

" _I won't," he replied sincerely, and then the mood lightened significantly._

BREAK

She couldn't believe her eyes the next night when she realised she and Dwayne were the only ones in the cave. Paul and Marko had taken it upon themselves to go get fast food, and David was outside working on his bike. Well, that was what Marko said David was doing. Cat was sure he just wanted to avoid her.

Sauntering over from the alcove to the chairs, Cat sighed and picked up Paul's flask. Eyeing the back of Dwayne's head, she took a swig and then winced.

"Ah, Christ," she hissed, scowling at the flask "What the fuck does Paul put in here?"

Dwayne's head turned slightly, but he didn't say anything and then went back to the knife he was sharpening. Biting her lip, Cat slumped down into the sofa. It took ten minutes and all of her courage before she finally spoke up again.

"Do you hate me?" she asked quietly.

For a horrible few moments, she thought he was going to completely ignore her question, but then he finally spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me what you were going to do, Cat?"

"I didn't want to put you in the middle of it. Paul's already in an awkward position," she responded immediately, then hesitated before she continued "And I didn't know if you'd agree with me."

"You don't trust me," Dwayne's tone told her that this wasn't a question.

"Worrying you'll disagree and not trusting you are two totally different things."

"Disagreeing with you doesn't mean I'd stop you!" Dwayne's voice rose and the knife clattered to the cave floor.

"So you disagree with me, then?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't say otherwise."

"Don't turn this around on me, Cat!" he snapped.

"Dwayne, you're just as much of a brother to me as Jamie is. You know I love you."

"But in this case you prioritised him."

"That's not fair and you know it," she shook her head "It's a matter of circumstance. I'd do the exact same for you."

"You've just risked all of our lives," he pointed out.

"Do you really think I'd do that? Do you believe I think there's any chance Jamie's going to tell people?"

"Even if you thought there was a chance he'd tell people, you'd still have helped him get out," Dwayne accused quietly.

"Now who doesn't trust who?"

"You gave me a reason not to."

Those words hit Cat like a truck. Moving slowly, she made her way to where Dwayne was and sat beside him, and tentatively rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him as much as she could.

"I'm really sorry, Dwayne. It sounds pathetic, but I don't know how else to say it. I'm just…really fucking sorry, man. It was shitty of me."

After he didn't move for a few moments, Cat went to let go, giving up, but then his hand shot up and grabbed her arm, holding her in place. The relief she felt was almost tangible.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: A glimpse into what's going on in David's head. I'm back at uni, but this just came pouring out, so hopefully the updates will be a little more regular. I'm preeeetty sure that the next chapter of this story will be the last - two more chapters left, tops. Then I'll finish the mini David/OC one I started forever ago, and then work on the Dwayne/OC (which will be linked to this one, and I already have a vague plotline thought up for!). I'm also still considering posting a story that'd be a series of Cat/Paul one-shots, mostly just random scenes that I couldn't find a place for in the story but wanted to write anyway (fluff, maybe smut if I get brave enough) if that'd interest you guys. Thank you guys so much for taking an interest in my writing, it means a lot.**

* * *

David was torn. Originally, he'd meant to resolve "the Cat Situation", as he had begun to mentally refer to it, the morning after she returned. He hated drama and bullshit and the way it took over lives – and their lives were too long to let it happen. However, what he hadn't planned on doing was punching Cat. That was what threw him off. He entered the main part of the cave the night after the big fiasco, ready to argue it out until they were good with each other again…and then he spotted the bruise she was sporting. It was angry and purple and covered the better part of her cheekbone, blossoming up to the side of her eye, as if it was outlining the side of her eye-socket. If this was how it looked after it'd had all day to heal, he felt sick at the thought of what it probably looked like an hour or so after he'd hit her. The only evidence that remained of her punch on his face was a small red mark. Either she'd gone easy on him, or he'd really gone too far with her. He was more inclined to believe the latter, and his heart sank.

Paul must've been asleep, since the alcove curtains were drawn shut behind Cat. She stood alone in the main cave, slowly turning around on the spot, surveying her surroundings. David frowned and backed more into the shadows, silently so that he could watch her a little while longer. What on earth was that girl doing? She walked slowly around the fountain, fingertips trailing over the tops of the unlit candles as she looked around the cave. He couldn't decipher her expression for the life of him.

The brunette gave a sad sigh before picking up her backpack, which lay to the side of the sofa. David frowned now. Was she skipping out?! There was no way. Not without Paul. But she didn't begin packing her clothes. She picked up odds and ends that belonged to her, but that only she used. With the way they lived, they all ended up using each other's belongings with no need to ask, it was no big deals. Things that technically belonged to Cat, but that they all used – her CDs, the bass guitar she'd taken from a victim (she'd acted like she'd won the damn lottery when she found it), magazines – were left untouched. David had to fight back an incredulous laugh. Even after the way things had gone the previous night, she was being kind, eager to avoid any kind of gesture that might seem passive aggressive. Then it dawned on him that she was preparing for the possibility of being made to leave, and any humour he could see in the situation was lost.

The heavy atmosphere seemed to weigh on Cat, too, as she slumped into the sofa and pressed the unhurt side of her face to her hand. In the time he'd known her, David had never seen Cat look so damn _small_. So hopeless. Even back when she'd been putting up with shit from her so called "friends" back when they'd first met, there'd still been a fire in her that made him believe she was cut out for this life. At least more than Star had been, which wasn't difficult.

What hurt David more than he cared to admit was how readily she believed they'd kick her out. She was their sister – _his_ sister - biology be damned. Sure, he was mad. Mad was an understatement, he was fucking livid, but what had any of them done to make her believe she could lose her place amongst them in the matter of one night?

He thought back to the sensation of his fist meeting her cheekbone and winced. That might not have helped. The sob that hitched in Cat's throat broke through both the silence and David's thoughts. In an instant, David was one hundred percent less prepared to deal with the Cat Situation. Anger, he could work with. But tears? No. This would have to wait.

Knowing if he lingered much longer he'd be caught, David backed away, resolving to return to the cave when the others were awake.

* * *

At first, putting off resolving things with Cat had been easy. After all, Marko and Dwayne weren't talking to her either. After a few days, Marko shrugged, said "fuck it" and pulled Cat into a bear hug. He'd never been one to hold a grudge. Still, it was no big deal to David. Dwayne still wasn't talking to her either, so he knew he could dig his heels in a little longer.

He didn't _want_ to leave things unresolved for so long. He hated this bullshit, if he was honest. To make matters worse, the longer things remained unfixed with Cat, the angrier Paul became towards him. David's reluctance wasn't purely down to an unwillingness to discuss how he felt – it was that he didn't know _how_ he felt. On one hand, he was furious. She'd lied and deceived and risked _so damn much_ for the sake of her brother. Her _old_ brother. She'd betrayed them. But then she came back and argued her case, and he couldn't pretend she didn't have a point.

When he returned to the cave one night to find Cat asleep, curled up against Dwayne, he knew his time to think was up. Something had to change, and fast, before they all went insane.

What he wasn't expecting was for Cat to make the first move. A few nights after she reconciled with Dwayne, she approached David silently, wariness plain on her face. David said nothing as she slowly sat down beside him on the sofa, and Cat matched his silence. Pure curiosity struck him when, instead of saying anything, she simply produced a sheet of folded up paper, handed it to him and went back to the alcove.

Had she written him a letter? David frowned and unfolded the paper. No, this wasn't her handwriting. He'd seen it a bunch of times all over the mixtapes she'd made, and this was nothing like it. Then the name at the bottom caught his eye. Jamie. Her brother had contacted her. Not only that, but she was letting David read it. After everything, she was willing to share something so personal with him? Immediately, David began to read.

 _C,_

 _I told mum that I didn't find anything, and did what you asked. Your funeral is next week – I guess by the time you get this, it'll have already happened, though. Mum dug her heels in at first, but then she gave in and started helping me plan….and then she took over with planning. She even seems a little bit better. She brings you up sometimes now, but in past tense. I think she's accepted it. I guess you were right. She's been getting really into those self-help books that help with grief, but she doesn't know I know that. Guess she still thinks we don't know where she hides anything interesting._

The next few lines were crossed out, but still legible.

 _She's been._

 _If you want, I could send you._

 _I think you should._

Evidently, he was having issues in getting his point across. David's eyebrows rose.

 _Look, I found something she wrote. From what I can guess, one of her books recommended that she write a letter to the person you died (you)…and I found the letter. Honestly, it's_ _pretty grim, but they're what she wants her last words to you to have been,_

Again, the next line had been crossed out, but it was still clear as day.

 _and I think she should have that opportunity_

He'd then replaced it with something that seemed a little less aggressive.

 _and if you want to read them, tell me and I'll post the letter to you._

 _I hope you're safe. He better be looking after you. You don't need him to, but it doesn't mean he shouldn't. Tell you friends not to worry – if keeping it secret keeps you safe, I'm not saying a word. Write back._

 _Jamie._

* * *

 **A/N: I had to go back and edit this chapter after I posted it because t** **here was a glitch – parts of Jamie's letter are meant to be crossed out but I guess the formatting didn't transfer when I uploaded it here? When I typed it up in the word document, those sentences had the strikethrough thing on them. So it doesn't really make sense without that. I went back and edited it to make it clearer.**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: I'm so glad you guys love Cat and Paul together as much as I do! They're honestly my favourite couple to write – it's why I can't resist adding them to the upcoming Dwayne/OC story. There was a glitch in the last chapter – parts of Jamie's letter are meant to be crossed out but I guess the formatting didn't transfer when I uploaded it here? When I typed it up in the word document, those sentences had the strikethrough thing on them. So it doesn't really make sense without that. I went back and edited it to make it clearer. This is a short update, but it didn't feel right being attached to the next chapter, so I had to post it separately.**

* * *

Cat stared at the envelope in her lap. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised when she checked her mailbox that night, weeks after saying goodbye to her brother, and found that there was actually a letter in there. Of course Jamie would write to her. Still, that didn't stop her from getting emotional and it took all of her self-control to slip the letter into her jacket for later, instead of tearing it open then and there. But now she had the time. The guys were in the main part of the cave, and she sat alone in the alcove, staring at the letter. Part of her didn't even want to know what it held. Everything had been a lot easier when they thought she was dead, she had to admit David had been right about that.

"Babe?" Paul's head appeared between the curtains, looking at her curiously "You okay? Why are you in here?"

Cat set her lips in a thin line and held up the envelope. Paul squinted at the letter before he approached and took it when she offered it up to him.

"Oh," he murmured when he realised what it was.

"Oh," she echoed quietly.

"You haven't read it."

It wasn't a question – the envelope was still sealed. He handed it back to her.

"I was going to, when we got back…the plan was to read it, then get shitfaced…but then I ended up spending the last damn hour trying to work up the courage to open the fucking thing," she groaned, pressing a hand to her face.

"You want me to go?" he asked.

" _You_ never need to ask me that," she sighed, gesturing to the empty space beside her on the mattress "Step into my office."

"I'll take you up on that offer, but only 'cause it sounds dirty," he teased before settling down next to her.

Cat shifted so that she leant on him, still turning over the envelope in her hands. Then, with a sigh, she offered it to Paul again.

"Read it to me?"

"What?" Paul was uncharacteristically alarmed "Why?!"

"Because if you're the one telling me whatever's in that letter, it won't seem half as bad," she replied, turning onto her side and cuddling into him.

"You sure?"

"Only if you don't mind."

"I don't! It just…seems personal."

Even Cat was surprised at how genuine her laugh was at that.

"Paul. We're soulmates. You've been _inside_ me. We drink each other's blood. Not to mention, on a far more extreme note, you've probably heard me sing the entirety of ABBA's discography by now. You think reading a letter, with my full permission, is too personal?" she quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, when you put it like that," he snorted before ripping open the envelope.

He unfolded the letter, wrapped an arm around her and reluctantly began to read. There was something odd about hearing Jamie's words come from Paul's lips, but she was right in thinking it'd make the entire thing less painful. A few times, over the course his reading, Cat would sniff or choke back a sob, and he'd stop, only for her to gesture for him to continue.

"Tell your friends not to worry. If keepin' it secret keeps you safe, I'm not sayin' a word. Write back. Jamie," he finished reading the letter and sighed "Your brother's a good guy."

"It runs in the family," she muttered sardonically.

"Hey! What's with the sarcasm?" he scolded.

"A girl who puts her family through this is hardly a good person."

"Well it's a good thing I like bad girls then, ain't it?" Paul did his best to lighten the mood, and was rewarded with a soft, teary smile "Babe, this is my fault. You didn't choose any of this. If you're gonna be mad at somebody, be mad at me."

"I already was, remember? It didn't go well," she shook her head "None of it can be helped. I shouldn't even sit and dwell on it. Everything with Jamie went as well as it could have."

He brought her hand to his lips, and kissed the tattoo on her ring finger.

Cat shifted, and lay down so that his chest was cushioning her head "Stay with me a while?"

"Forever," he murmured, and she cuddled up closer to him.

* * *

 **A/N: I thought I should add that although it usually takes me way longer than it should to update this nowadays (thanks, university), I have 0 intention of abandoning this story/series…ever. It's too much fun to write, and I'm too proud of it to ever leave it without a proper ending :') I've already started some Cat/Paul oneshots, including Cat and Jamie being reunited 20 years down the line, and how Paul helps Cat cope with Christmas.**


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: Filler-y, for a break between the more plot-heavy stuff. I'm thrilled by the sudden surge of new subscribers! Thank you all so much! This was originally going to be a one-shot, but I thought I'd stick something a little lighter in before the story ends.**

* * *

The night had been perfect. Hell, Cat had known it would be when Paul surprised her with the tickets to the gig a few weeks beforehand. It had been a week since she'd given the letter to David, and he hadn't said a damn thing. Paul hadn't said it outright, but she suspected this was a way of trying to cheer her up, and boy had it worked. Not only were they seeing Guns n' Roses, but they were seeing them in _LA_ – the best possible place. Hell, that was where they had started. She hadn't expected anything at all to put a downer on the night, but least of all Duff McKagan himself.

It had started off innocently enough. She was crushed against the barrier with Paul behind her (she'd tried to get him to stand beside her, but he'd argued that she was short enough to easily see over, and this way nobody else would be pressing up against her), grinning up at the band as they absolutely _killed_ it…and then it happened. They were on Duff's side of the stage, and half way through a song, he looked over and winked at her. Cat felt Paul's hand on her hip tighten slightly and she had to do her best not to groan audibly, wishing that hadn't just happened. The poor guy had no idea what he was getting himself into.

However, by the time the song ended, the incident was out of mind, and she was once again lost in the contagious excitement of the crowd. She'd missed this. Gigs are the boardwalk were all well and good, but they didn't quite compare to a _real_ concert setting. This was her first real gig since before she'd arrived in Santa Carla. It was euphoric. The lights, the music so loud that she could feel it rattle her teeth, her favourite rock stars _right there_ in front of her, and the fact that Paul was there to see it all with her.

She'd almost completely forgotten about the wink until the end of the concert. The gig was small enough (it was a special one-off, in a club they'd played one of their first gigs at) for the band to feel comfortable to jump down, between the small stage and the barrier, to say their goodbyes to the crowd. Cat didn't even bother to hide her excited giggle when she managed to fist-bump Slash, and grab Axl's hand for a few seconds, and she heard Paul cheer behind her when he high-fived Duff…until Duff then turned to her. Eyes flashing in recognition, he dug a hand into his pocket, before pulling it out and grabbing the hand she offered. Cat felt whatever he'd taken from his pocket press into her palm as he squeezed her hand, but before she could question it, he placed a somewhat drunken kiss on the back of her hand with a grin and moved on. _Oh, shit_. Not knowing what else to do, and practically sensing the way Paul was glaring at the blond, she uncurled her fingers to see Duff's guitar pick sitting in the centre of her palm.

By now the band was leaving, and so the crowd began to follow suit, moving towards the back of the club where the bar was. As they waited for the crowd to lighten up enough for them to move, Cat spun in Paul's grip, showing him the pick that sat in her hand.

"What an ass," Paul shook his head with a snort, leaning down to kiss her.

Cat moved to her tip-toes, but just before their lips could meet, she was being tapped on the shoulder.

"Huh?"

She turned around to see a hulking member of security, who looked like he was very fed up with his life.

"You've been invited backstage, ma'am," he sighed, and Cat noticed another security member saying the same thing to a pair of scantily clad girls a few feet down the barrier.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, eyes widening with disbelief.

"The, uh, the band has invited you to come back stage."

"Yeah? And what about my boyfriend?"

Her eyebrows arched, and the member of security began to look even more awkward.

"Ladies only."

"Well, um, no thank you," she didn't quite know what else to say or do, other than urge Paul away, through the now thinning crowd.

On their way outside they laughed in total disbelief over what had happened, Paul seemingly unsure whether he was amused or pissed off, for he had a weird kind of scowl on his face, despite the chuckling. He muttered something when she paused to put the pick in her wallet before climbing onto his bike behind him, but that was it.

* * *

Cat didn't even try to hide her amusement, eyebrows raised and a smirk on her face as Paul stormed around the hotel room, a dangerous expression on his face. Apparently he'd settled on anger. Eventually he caught her eye, stared at her in disbelief and then snapped.

"It's not funny!"

"No, you're right," Cat shrugged before cracking up "It's fucking hilarious."

"It's disgusting!" he admonished "The way he was all up in your face, smiling and…and _flirting_. I can't believe he tried to get you to leave with him! Like a…a-."

"A certain Lost Boy when he first met me?"

"That was different! I had every right!"

"I hate to break it to you, but so did he. The fact that we're soulmates doesn't change the fact that it's a free country, love," she shrugged, pulling off her shirt and wrinkling her nose when she felt the cold sweat on it "Although I'll admit it was a dick move to do it in front of you, but I guess it wasn't obvious that we're together. Why is this bothering you so much?"

"Why ain't it bothering you?" he grumbled.

"The same reason it doesn't bother me when girls make eyes at you at the boardwalk."

"Those girls ain't shit."

"And neither is he!"

Paul gave her a look that screamed "Oh, please."

"Okay, so if Joan Jett played Santa Carla and wanted to screw you, you'd go for it then?"

"You know I wouldn't."

"So what's the problem? You don't trust me?" she raised her eyebrows "I turned him down, Paul."

"You weren't even curious?"

"Of course not! Why would I be?"

"You've never screwed anyone else!" he said it as though it were obvious.

All traces of joking left Cat's face "So?"

"You don't know what it's like!"

Cat wasn't quite sure what to make of any of this. Where had it even come from?!

"I don't _care_ what it's like! I like sex with you because it's _with you_ , not because it's-," Cat stopped mid-sentence, and a wave of pure hurt hit her when she realised what he was getting at "Are you getting bored of me?"

"What?! Of course I'm not!"

"Well why else would you bring up being _curious_? I haven't done anything to make you think like that. I have no interest in casual relationships - fuck, before I met you I had no interest in relationships at all! If we hadn't met, I'd still be a virgin!"

"Cat-"

"No! Look, I don't know what I'm missing, but clearly you do. If you have an issue with us, spit it out instead of making up bullshit reasons to project your issues onto me!"

"Babe-"

"I'm going for a shower," she muttered, standing and heading to the en-suite, not sparing him a second glance.

All she heard in response was a muffled curse when the door closed behind her, and a noise which sounded suspiciously like a boot driving into the wood of the wardrobe.

By the time she'd showered, she'd had calmed down. Paul had never given her any reason to think he had eyes for anybody but her, but she couldn't figure out why he was freaking out so much over this. She _knew_ him, almost better than she knew herself. This was the sort of thing he'd laugh and boast about – a rockstar found _his_ girl hot! So what was the problem? It had to be something more. She lingered in the bathroom as long as she feasibly could, finding any way to amuse herself - she made use of the fancy hair and face masks left by the hotel, soaked in the tub after she had showered, spent too long towel drying her hair and carefully combing out every knot she could find, before tying it into a meticulous plait...and then undoing it, and tying it into a ponytail instead.

Just as she worked up the courage to enter the bedroom, she heard the door to the hotel room open and shut. He'd left. Heart sinking, Cat headed back into the bedroom with a sigh. Not feeling like doing much else, she dried off and then sank into the bed, curling up under the covers. The night had started off so amazingly. How had it even gotten to this? They never seriously argued, and then this happened - of all nights, and over something so stupid?!

Although it was still relatively early in the night, the combination of how high-energy the gig had been, along with how draining her fight with Paul had been, she was exhausted. Within moments, she was asleep.

* * *

The next thing Cat was aware of was a thumb stroking her cheekbone and lips on hers. Paul. He was back. He wasn't angry? Without hesitation, she kissed him back, sitting up slightly. How could he even think she'd want some stranger over _him_? Rockstar or no. She loved everything about Paul – how his stubble scratched pleasantly against her skin, the way he threw his head back when he laughed at a comment she made, when he'd drum his fingertips against her leg to the beat of whatever song they were listening to when they hung out, and the mix of burning lust and pure adoration that would show in his eyes when they were together. Briefly, she wondered if he saw the same thing when he looked in her eyes. Or was that the problem?

Cat had had shitty self-esteem growing up, and even though she'd been far more comfortable in her own skin in the past few years, there were still some after-affects. One of which being that Paul was the main initiator when it came to sex. She knew he'd never turned her down, but she was just less confident with that kind of thing than him. It wasn't like she never did, it was just that he did more often. Had he mistaken that for disinterest?

Hesitantly, they parted after a few moments, but still stayed forehead to forehead.

"I'm sorry," Cat murmured.

"I thought I was the one in the doghouse," Paul tried to lighten the mood, but the curiosity was plain on his face.

"I didn't help anything by freaking out like that. I know you'd never cheat on me…I hope you know I wouldn't cheat on you? I-If I don't make that clear-."

Paul cut her off with a brief kiss "I know, babe. It's more than clear. I shouldn't have freaked out."

"Then why did you? I don't get it. You were laughing about it right when it happened."

"It's stupid! I realised that when you went to shower… I just…" he groaned and hesitated "I noticed you puttin' the pick in your wallet, like you were afraid to lose it, like it was some kinda big deal."

"Yes, I'm afraid to lose it!" she held up a hand so he'd let her continue "Because if I lose it, I can't give it to Marko."

"…Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

He sighed and pulled her closer, kissing her again.

"I got dinner," he murmured, but then got distracted when his fingertips went to skim down her back and found it bare "Are you naked?!"

"Maybe," she gave a small laugh when he began to wrestle the sheets away from her "What about dinner?"

"Tastes better cold anyway."

She didn't argue.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay so that scene was very out of character for Duff McKagan, to be honest…But he's adorable and pretty, so I couldn't resist. The fact that it was so unlike him also made me feel a little less weird writing about a real person. The scene didn't work quite as well if it was just about some made up band.**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: So, this is the last chapter. I can't decide if I'm sad that it's over (even though I'm far from done with these characters) or delighted that I actually managed to stick to writing something for so long and got such amazing and lovely feedback. You guys are awesome, and if it wasn't for the encouragement, this story would've probably fizzled out looooong ago. Enjoy!**

* * *

Cat sighed in relief as they entered the alcove for the first time since returning from LA "Home sweet- ah, fuck!"

As she'd thrown herself onto the mattress, something hard and jagged dug into her ribs. Shooting up, she glared at the offending object. A book. She frowned, not recognising it – surely she'd have to recognise it to have left it there. It was leather bound, and looked quite old – the title of the book having worn off of the cover. Had Dwayne left it here for her?

When she opened the book, a piece of paper fell out, but the first page of the book caught her attention first. Written underneath the title of the book – 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' - in impossibly beautiful handwriting, were a few words.

' _To my dear friend David,_

 _Oscar Wilde."_

Cat almost dropped the book in shock, mind flicking back to when David had told her he'd met the auuthor. She closed the book carefully, and then set it down on the mattress, turning to the paper that fell out. It took her half a second to realise it was the letter from Jamie, the one she'd left with David. So this had undoubtedly been his doing. Even without the letter, it would have been obvious, but she wouldn't put it past Marko to do something like that to try and get them talking again. But David, like his brothers, wasn't one who enjoyed initiating big long emotional talks. _Men_. He preferred grand gestures, and she'd be damned if this wasn't the grandest gesture she'd ever seen.

"What's up?" Paul asked, noticing her silence.

"I've got to talk to David," she murmured, dropping the letter onto the mattress to join the book.

Paul looked at her like she'd just grown a second head, and Cat couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, babe, what's the punchline?" he arched an eyebrow at her before turning to light the candles.

"There is none. It's time."

"I've been telling you that for weeks."

"It wasn't time then," Cat rolled her eyes good naturedly, tugging her jacket off.

"When did it become time?"

"About ten seconds ago."

"…Right," Paul seemed to give up trying to understand her thought process, and settled on being happy instead, if the smile creeping onto his face was any indication "Want me to come with? Play referee?"

"Nah, I'm gonna get him alone," she shook her head, glancing towards the main cave apprehensively.

"Sounds dirty, I love it," he quipped, snickering.

"Damn right," she laughed "Wish me luck?"

"You don't need it."

"Do it anyway."

"Ooh, bossy. We'll explore that side of you later."

" _Paul_."

Cat's admonishment would've been a lot more effective if she hadn't been giggling like a schoolgirl, but she couldn't help herself.

"Okay, okay!" Paul threw his hands up in mock surrender before dragging her into a hug and giving her what had to be the most innocent kiss of their entire relationship "Good luck. Don't be nervous."

"I'm not nervous," she lied, not bothering to put any effort into being convincing.

"Uh-huh, and I like to sun bathe every morning," he let go of her and gave her a playful push towards the main cave "Go. The anticipation's killing me here."

* * *

"David?"

Cat was surprised her voice even obeyed her when she took a few steps into the cave after Paul. She'd picked up the book before leaving the alcove, and nervously ran her fingers over the corners of the cover to try and abate her nerves. Paul continued to move forward, slouching into one of the couches beside Dwayne and immediately striking up a conversation with his brother, who had the good grace to try and hide his surprise at the fact that she'd actually spoken to David. Marko, however, stared unabashedly in surprise. There was an awful second when Cat thought, against the logical side of her, that David was going to ignore her and the awkward limbo they were in would continue until who knows when. Eternity, possibly. But he looked up, his face open and curious.

"Uh, outside?" she tilted her head in the direction of the cave entrance, not wanting to have this conversation in front of an audience.

He quickly nodded and stood, gesturing for her to lead the way. She didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to the book in her hands…or the way Dwayne murmured a "Thank fuck for that," to Paul, who only snorted and grinned in response.

When they got outside, Cat found herself with no idea what to even say to him and she hated it. He was her brother, and now she could barely interact with him without second guessing herself. What did she do? Pretend nothing had happened and try to go back to normal? No. They both deserved more than that. Have a big long drawn out, teary discussion about their feelings? She held back a snort at the mental image. It definitely wasn't David's style, and she didn't want to put him through it. Luckily, David took pity on her and took the first step.

"You got it," David spoke lightly, gesturing to the book in her hands, as though those weren't the first words he'd said to her in ages.

Unable to help herself, Cat barrelled into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him. David froze for a moment, then she felt him chuckle, but how tightly he hugged her back gave away the fact that his nonchalance was a façade. She only had an idea of what to say or do when she stepped back, put her hands in her pockets and was met with the small piece of plastic.

"Seeing as we're giving gifts," Cat joked quietly, pulling out the pick – she wanted to match David's gesture, and figured she'd give Marko the t-shirt she got from the gig, since it was too big for her anyway.

"What's this?" he took the pick and examined it with a frown.

"Duff McKagan gave me it," she admitted, before snorting "Apparently I have more feminine wiles than I realise."

"Now there's a story behind that," he raised his eyebrows, eyeing the pick with renewed interest.

"Paul'll tell you it, no doubt."

"I think _you_ should. C'mon, we'll go get food and then we'll talk."

* * *

"You read the letter, then?" she broached the subject not long after they sat down opposite each-other in the local diner situated on the boardwalk.

"Yeah," he nodded "I underestimated him. Honestly, I thought he wouldn't be able to keep his damn mouth shut."

"I knew he would...Or I really fucking hoped. I made him promise before he left...we made things right with him best we could before he left - me and Paul, I mean. I never expected him to turn up on the boardwalk…"

She turned her attention to the menu, raising an eye at the prices. The diner was going out of business, soon to be converted into a café with a new owner, and apparently the old owner was determined to make as much money as possible by ripping off customers til then.

"I don't blame you for it," he admitted "I was pissed at what you did, I won't lie…Then again, I made that pretty clear."

Cat looked back up at him, noticing the way his eyes were fixed on the spot where he'd hit her.

"And I hit you back. We're even. Better than even – we're good. Grand. Excellent. So don't you dare beat yourself up over it," she said sternly "I like being the only one amongst us with a tendency to self-pity, thank you very much."

David laughed openly at that before raising his hands in mock defeat "Yes ma'am. I am sorry, though."

Cat almost choked at that, discomfort filling her. It was such a change from their usual dynamic, and David's usual behaviour.

"I forgave you pretty much as you…well, y'know. I'm sorry too. I just didn't see any other way out of it. I'm sentimental at best and downright sappy at worst. I can't make the decisions 'for the greater good'. Fuck, it's why I respect you for it. Even when I disagree," she trailed off and then, after noticing his stunned expression, continued "We _are_ good now though, aren't we? You don't mind Jamie writing?"

He shook his head and she sighed in relief.

"It's gonna be hard, Cat," he said in a matter-of-fact tone, before lowering his voice "You know...Time passes fast for our kind. You're too young to get it now, but after you're like this for a while…"

"I know that," she nodded "The nights all kind of just blur together after a while."

She'd talked to all of them enough to know that. It was why they didn't tend celebrate annual events. Christmas would feel like it was every week if they did.

David nodded, and then hesitated, looking at her warily as if he was worried what he was going to say next might offend. Cat felt uneasy, but gestured for him to continue.

"All I'm saying is...There'll come a time when the letters stop, and it'll be sooner than you think. Maybe because he moves on with his life, but more likely because...well, not all your brothers are blessed with our kinda life expectancy."

"I know," she said quickly, and then paused, sighed and spoke again, but her voice was slightly weaker this time " _I know_. I'm guessing a small part of the initial 'no contacting family' thing was to spare me that."

The surprise on his face was blatant "You worked that one out?"

"I don't think you're a total asshole," she teased, doing her best to manoeuvre the conversation to lighter areas.

"So I'm just a slight asshole?" he grinned, seeming to take that as a compliment.

"Damn right. But we all are. It's how we're such a great family."

* * *

Everything felt right again. The atmosphere in the cave was easier than it had been in weeks, as she sat on the sofa, her thighs stretched out in front of her across Paul's lap as she read and rested her head on his shoulder whilst he talked animatedly with David about the Guns n' Roses gig. An usually mellow song that she didn't recognise was playing. At first, she barely considered it, until one verse caught her attention.

 _And in that time I was alone,  
so many years without my home  
I made brothers of a different kind instead_

Cat slowly closed the book in her hands and leaned back thoughtfully, her gaze landing on each of her own _brothers of a different kind_ in turn as they laughed and joked around with each other and Paul. For the first time in a while, she felt truly content. Blessed, even, if she'd been one for faith.

David intimidated her. It was no secret – she'd told him as much. However, it was only slightly. It was hard not to be intimidated by him, he was a natural leader and had a hell of a presence. She took comfort in the fact that she knew she didn't necessarily have to be intimidated by him. After all, it was unintentional on his part. He was like the cool older brother who she was always eager to do right by. Who she respected to the end. That was what made the shit-storm so difficult to bear. It was like he'd disappointed him. Hell, she had disappointed him. But that was behind them now.

Marko was the only one of her brothers who she didn't feel was "older". In a literal sense, of course, he was. Even though he was now the second youngest since she'd joined up, he still had quite a few years on her. But that wasn't how their dynamic worked. Their relationship revolved around banter and a rapport that placed them on the same level, with only the occasional serious talk. He was the one she went to for advice if she wanted somebody who wouldn't look too deeply into her questions and subsequently worry themselves.

Out of all of them, Dwayne was the most like Jamie – almost a stereotypical older brother figure. Nothing if not protective and caring to the very core, despite the cool and detached façade he favoured in public. He was a whole different person in the cave, and not a night went by when she wasn't grateful for his calming presence.

When Cat thought too deeply about her relationship with her beloved brothers, it truly stunned her. If she hadn't been Paul's soulmate, the men that she now adored with all her heart (and vice versa) would've murdered her in cold blood on the first night they saw her. And they would've enjoyed it, just like she enjoyed her kills. In a way, it showed her how precarious life had a tendency to be. Paul had their bond stopping him from doing her harm, but all they had was Paul's word. Their respect for Paul is what turned them from her murderers to her brothers. Hell, the bond that she and Paul shared had been the only thing stopped him from killing her himself. Of course, now it went beyond that. Now she was more than Paul's soulmate. She was his girlfriend (the term "wife" sounded too odd to her ears. She felt too young to view herself as a wife. When she thought of a wife, she thought of suburbs and frilly aprons and baking cookies. None of those things applied to her life – thankfully.), his best friend, his love. The soulmate bond was what forced them together, but they'd stayed of their own volition. And of course, now she was more than that in the eyes of her brothers too. Things had ended so, so differently all because of one factor.

When she absentmindedly brought this train of thought up to Paul, he wouldn't – _couldn't_ – discuss it. He'd visibly shifted uncomfortably before taking a few moments to reply.

"That ain't even something worth thinkin' about. Or talkin' about," he stated seriously with a shake of his head, pulling her closer as if he needed to reassure himself that that wasn't how things had gone down.

Apparently thinking in hypothetical terms wasn't something he enjoyed. She couldn't blame him though. It must've been a lot harder from his perspective. The idea that she'd be dead - that he'd have been more than happy to kill her, if not for one twist of fate. She was hardly angry at him – or any of them – for it. That wasn't how it had happened, so it would be ridiculous for her to get her panties in a twist about it. It'd be hypocritical to get annoyed by it, anyway. The people she'd killed on a weekly basis could've easily been viewed in the same way, after all. She just couldn't help her mind wandering to these places. She found it interesting to consider everything. But Paul took it too personally for that, and she couldn't bring herself to blame him, and dropped the subject without hesitation.

Guilt spread through her chest at the uneasy look that'd come over his face, and so she pressed a kiss to the side of his neck and sighed.

"I don't think I've ever been happier, y'know?" she admitted softly, not wanting to get all mushy within earshot of their brothers.

She felt him stare down at her in surprise, but was preoccupied with his tattooed hand, taking it in hers and running her fingertips over the **C** on his finger. The knowledge that everything she felt for him, he felt for her was overwhelming at times, and she felt her heart swell. The odds were a million to one that they'd ever encounter each other. Hell, she'd been reluctant to go on vacation with Sophie and Bryana in the first place. She didn't want to consider what would've happened if she hadn't. Yes, things had been a disaster in the beginning, but now she felt like it had all been some kind of miracle…if she overlooked the darker parts. Which she often did these days, out of both necessity and an unwillingness to make herself miserable over things that couldn't be fixed.

"I love you."

Such a blatant verbal display of pure affection (without any kind of dirty euphemism) was a rarity from him, and she couldn't stop the grin that spread onto her face…despite Marko's wolf whistle in response. If anything, that only made her smile wider. She was _home_.

* * *

 **A/N: The song mentioned is The Lost Boy by Greg Holden. How fitting that verse is, along with the name of the song made it impossible for me to not use. I knew I was going to end the story with that by the time I hit Chapter 10. I won't pretend I'm not a little emotional over this being over :') it's my favourite story I've ever written. The Paul/Cat one-shot series is already up on my profile, it's called "Eternal" and one has been posted already. I have two more that I'm working on to be posted, hopefully within the next week or two. The Dwayne/OC story should be up soon (within the next two months, I'm just straightening out plotlines), and that's going to be called "We Own the Night". I'd love it if you guys read them. Again, you're all amazing, thank you so much, I have so much confidence in my writing now compared to before I started this, and I think it's even improved my writing a little.**

 **...and the final song from The Lost Boys movie started playing on shuffle right as I got ready to post this. Coincidence? I think not :')**


	44. AN

Hey guys,

Just to say the first chapter (more of a prologue) of my Dwayne/OC story - We Own the Night - has now been posted! Please check it out if you think you might be interested!

\- Liisi xo


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